Lost in Translation
by The Minsk
Summary: AU. Kurt invites an exchange student to live with the Hummel-Hudson family for eight weeks but their new guest is not what they expected.
1. The Exchange

DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. They are the property of Ryan Murphy and FOX. This is purely for fun. Enjoy!

A/N: I got this idea from an anon on Tumblr and ran with it. Whomever it was; thank you for the inspiration ;)

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><p><strong>Lost in Translation<strong>

**Chapter One: The Exchange**

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><p>"Please, Dad? Carole already said yes and the fact that you haven't yet agreed with your wife and better half<em> really<em> disconcerts me." Burt leveled Kurt with a single glare from across the dinner table as Finn and Carole stayed as silent as death. They did not want to be a part of this conversation and Finn shoved a huge forkful of mashed potatoes into his mouth as an excuse to be quiet.

"I know that Carole said yes, but this is my house and I have final say in the matter," he reached over and held his wife's hand in his. "And I don't appreciate you going behind my back and asking her permission before you checked with me first. Carole is your step-mother but _I_ am your father and my word is law around here."

"But _Daaaad,"_Kurt whined, drawing out the word as Finn winced from the sound. "This is my chance to really perfect my language skills and inject some culture into this household. I already told Madame Tartuffe that I would be able to participate in the Cultural Immersion Exchange."

"Well you shouldn't have done that before clearing it with me first. I'm sorry Kurt, but I'm not just going to allow some stranger from a foreign country to live in my house. I refuse."

Kurt looked over at his step-brother, and Finn took a huge sip of his coke as the focus turned solely on him. He hated being involved in family fights, especially about things that had nothing to do with him. He didn't even speak French anyway and therefore would barely interact with the foreigner when he arrived. "Finn, what do you think about this?" Kurt asked brightly, nudging Finn in the side for support.

"Well, um," he looked around the table at his parents and Kurt and shrugged his shoulders in nonchalance. "I think it would be kind of cool, cause like, America rocks, right? We should spread the money." His family stared at him in confusion.

"You mean,_ spread the wealth_?" Kurt clarified.

"Yeah, spread the wealth. You know, show this person how great our country is. It can't be that bad, right?" God, he was such a dork. No wonder he hadn't had a girlfriend in months.

Burt's eyes narrowed dangerously at his step-son as his wife squeezed his hand. "How long will he be here for? This French exchange student?"

"Eight weeks," Kurt replied. "He'll be gone by Spring Break." Burt shook his head and Kurt was now practically begging. "Dad, I'm the best French speaker in my class, and the exchange student needs someone who will be able to communicate with them. This could be a great opportunity for the entire family to learn about a culture and a language that's so different from our own. Please don't let it pass us by. This could be a really awesome experience for us."

"Burt," Carole finally said, looking her husband in the eyes. Finn always had a lot of love and respect for his mother, and he was glad that she had found someone that she truly loved. He hoped one day to find a girl who made him as happy as Burt made Carole. "I think we should do this. I've always wanted to go to France and instead of spending all that money on a trip, we can bring France to us. Maybe we really _will _learn something from this experience?"

"Or maybe this exchange student is a psychopath! Or a terrorist!" Kurt rolled his eyes dramatically.

"Dad, now you're just being irrational," Kurt grumbled.

With a heavy sigh, Burt looked around the table at his family, and Finn could almost see his resolve start to crack. He was outnumbered three-to-one, and he was never one to deny his beloved son something that he truly wanted.

"Alright, fine. I'll allow it." He conceded after a tense minute where all of the family's focus was on him. Kurt let out a squeal of delight as Finn finished the rest of his dinner in peace. He wasn't really affected by this decision, besides the slight invasion of privacy, but he was happy for his brother. He knew how much this meant to him and wanted to support him either way.

"Yes!" He yelled, pumping his fist in the air. "Now I can put "International Exchange Host" on my NYADA application. The Office of Admissions will eat that up!"

"Yeah, well, you're the one who has to set up the guest room for this exchange student. No one here besides you speaks French, so you have to be the one who's in charge of all of his needs. Do you think you can handle it?"

"Of course! I really hope whoever they send has a classic, Parisian style to them. I better go whip out my Edith Piaf and Serge Gainsbourg records!" Kurt jumped up from the table and ran off after dumping his plates in the sink. "I'm going to go finish the Exchange Application and call Mercedes. This is fabulous!" Finn smiled as his brother flounced off and finished the rest of his meal.

_"Sacre bleu,"_ muttered Burt over his pork chops as Carole smiled at her husband. "This is going to be a disaster."

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><p>For weeks leading up to the student's arrival, Kurt was practically floating on air, filled with excitement and enthusiasm for their foreign visitor. He had never seen his step-brother so thrilled about anything, and it was a contagious kind of happiness that Finn enjoyed. Kurt had been singing nothing but French songs in glee club for days, and had even started wearing berets around the house. The guest room was already prepared and Carole bought a cookbook filled with French recipes that they could try out on their new guest.<p>

Finn just continued with his monotonous daily life as usual, completely unaware of the change that was about to occur in the Hummel-Hudson household. He went to glee club, sat through classes, and tried not to think about the fact that he still didn't have any plans for next year, while everyone else was preoccupied with their own future plans. Video games were a welcome alternative to dealing with reality, but he knew that he had to eventually figure it out, seeing as there was only six months left of school until he graduated.

Until then, school was a constant reminder of the fact that he was simply floating through the rest of the year with no ambition or goals, and the more his friends continued to talk about their future plans, the more he stressed out about his own.

He was walking down the hallway after school with his head down deep in thought, when a noise startled him out of his depressing reverie. Immediately, he spotted Kurt at his locker with his boyfriend Blaine, his face red and looking like he was about to cry. Today was supposed to be the day of the exchange student's arrival; so why was he so upset? Finn quickly spanned the length of the hallway and joined his brother as he wondered what could get Kurt so agitated on what was supposed to be such a monumental day for him.

"We were going to discuss men's fashion trends! I thought he would admire my clothes and look like a Louis Vuitton model. My dreams are all ruined!" He overheard Kurt wailing into Blaine's shoulder as he approached the two boys.

"Hey, what's going on?" He asked as Blaine shook his head with an exasperated sigh.

"Kurt got the information about the exchange student today," he said while rubbing Kurt's back in circles. "Apparently he messed up on his Foreign Exchange application and there was a bit of a misunderstanding."

Finn frowned as Kurt continued to wail into his boyfriend's embrace. "What kind of misunderstanding?"

"They're sending a girl!" He screamed as Finn stared at his brother in shock. This was definitely not in the family's plans for the exchange.

"What do you mean, they're sending a girl? I thought you said they were sending a dude!" His step-father was not going to like a french girl living in the house with two teenage boys, even if one of them was gay. Finn of course didn't mind, but Burt and Carole were not going to be happy.

"The application was in French, so I didn't realize it when I put my middle name in the first name column. Instead of Kurt Elizabeth Hummel, they listed me as Elizabeth K. Hummel and sent me a female exchange student."

Finn could feel his heart begin to race in his chest. A French girl? Living with his family? Sharing his bathroom upstairs? It had been so long since his last girlfriend, he couldn't help but let his mind wander about their foreign French guest. Was she hot? Did she dig American guys? He hoped that she spoke at least a bit of English, if only for his sake.

"Well, when is she getting here? I thought she arrived today," Finn asked.

"She _is_ here, she's in the French room," Blaine said. "Kurt took one look at her and ran away screaming."

He turned on his brother with a heavy glare. "You just left her in the school with no one on her very first day? What's wrong with you?" Kurt glared at his step-brother from his boyfriend's embrace.

"I took one look at her_ librarian-chic_ outfit and could barely take it. I thought France was supposed to be a country with style." Finn shook his head, disappointed in his brother's behavior.

"You've been waiting for this day for weeks and now you're just going to stand here like a brat while your foreign guest stands around, lost in a new country?"

He sniffled and pouted like a child. "Well when you put it that way, I sound like a bad person."

"Go get in there and take care of your guest! You wanted this!" Finn said, throwing his hands in the air in exasperation. Blaine let go of Kurt while his step-brother dried his eyes.

"Yeah, well, you didn't give a crap about this exchange student until you found out she was a girl, so I'm not going to let you make me feel bad about this. I was looking forward to a Gaspard Ulliel, not a Marion Cotillard."

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that," Blaine deadpanned from his side. Finn didn't know who any of those people were, but he ignored his brother and pushed him toward the French classroom, where the foreign exchange student was waiting for them. Kurt, Finn and Blaine all entered the room to find a petite girl talking animatedly in French to Madame Tartuffe with a smile. The teacher spotted the boys and pushed the small girl forward.

"Ah, there you are, _Monsieur Hummel_," the teacher said brightly, pronouncing it _"uh-mell"_. "I wondered what had happened to you. I would like to introduce you to Mademoiselle Rachel Beri, from Paris." The small girl smiled and Finn was transfixed on the stunning image in front of him. She was short, but very slim, and every inch of her seemed to be coiffed to perfection. Her nails were short and manicured and her bangs were trimmed right above the brow, framing her face with her thick, shiny, shoulder length brunette hair. She was wearing a white beret on her head, to match the fluffy white sweater that hugged her frame perfectly. A sleek black pencil skirt highlighted her short, yet shapely legs with modest flats. When his eyes landed on her face, however, he lost himself in her large, dark brown eyes that stared at him from across the room and seemed to see straight through him.

Her lips were full and rose-petal pink as she licked them in anticipation and greeted them with a bright _"Salut!"._ She stepped forward and placed a kiss on each of Kurt's cheeks, like the way celebrities did on the red carpet. Kurt made him watch that kind of stuff all the time and he always thought it was weird, but when Rachel did it she looked classy and sophisticated. Kurt looked semi-impressed as well.

Finn was shocked when she did the same to Blaine, and then approached Finn to repeat the friendly gesture. Standing all the way on her tippy toes, she barely reached his cheek as she pressed hers against his and her nose brushed lightly against his skin. It was a bit large, if he were being honest, but it seemed to fit her and her unique beauty. Closing his eyes, he inhaled deeply while she was invading his personal space and the most heavenly scent entered his nose. She smelled like a department store or something, flowery and crisp and chic.

He had never seen a girl like her before in his life; her style, her face, her demeanor. Everything about her was one of a kind.

Like a doofus he said "_hello" _to her after she greeted him, and even though she didn't say anything back, he could see a light blush highlight her cheeks as she stepped away from him. She was wearing Eiffel Tower earrings and for some reason that made him smile.

Finn and Blaine stood to the side while Kurt, Madame Tartuffe and Rachel spoke quickly in French. There were three very large bags of luggage in the corner of the classroom, and it finally hit Finn in that moment that this girl was going to be living with them.

_For eight whole weeks._

He thought the grin would be forever permanent on his face. How lucky was he to have one of the most beautiful girl's he'd ever seen live in his house with him? Sure, the language barrier was bound to be an obstacle, but he would deal with it if only to be closer to her. Maybe Kurt could even teach him a phrase or two?

Speaking of his brother, Kurt still didn't look entirely thrilled at the prospect of hosting a French girl for eight weeks, but he forced a smile for her benefit as Madame Tartuffe left the room for the day. The three boys all stood around her while she looked around the classroom in awe of her surroundings. It was an awkward few minutes before Finn eventually nudged Kurt in the side with his elbow, whispering to him under his breath.

"Do something, dude. This is her first day in America and If I were her, I would think it was pretty lame."

"Well she's in Lima, not L.A.," he hissed. "It's not like there's a ton of stuff to do around here."

"Take her on a tour of the school or something. Don't just stand there," he ordered, noticing the way she curled her hair around her fingers in anticipation. Kurt turned to Rachel and asked her in French if she would like a tour of the school, and she accepted with a soft _"Oui"._Finn smiled at her politely as they walked out of the classroom together. He felt the urge to say something, but he was afraid of the language barriers that existed between them. He figured that they would have to talk eventually, so he gathered up his courage and tried to introduce himself to her. They were going to be sharing a bathroom, after all.

"I'm Kurt's brother, Finn." He said to her as they walked down the hallway with the other boys. Kurt would point out something in French and Rachel would nod her head, but she stared up at Finn in confusion as he sighed. This wasn't going well at all, but he had to try.

"Kurt," he pointed at his brother and slowly enunciated his words. "He is _my_ brother." He pointed to himself and she nodded her head. "We live together. You're staying with us."

"Kurt, your brother?" She said, her accent thick but incredibly adorable. "We stay _chez vous?"_

"Yeah," he said, sticking out his hand. "My name is Finn."

"Finn," she said, and she pronounced it like _Feen,_ but he couldn't care less. _"Enchanté," _she replied with a smile.

_"Enchanté," _he repeated as his heart started to race.

"Is he brother, too?" She pointed at Blaine and Finn couldn't help but laugh.

"No, that's Blaine. He's Kurt's boyfriend." Nodding her head, he wasn't sure if she completely understood but she didn't ask for elaboration. He couldn't keep his eyes off of her as they continued walking side by side in the halls after school. She really was one of the most prettiest girls he had ever seen and her accent was beyond adorable. Unfortunately, after that little introduction he really didn't know what else to say to her. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and walked next to her in silence while Kurt and Blaine gave her a tour of the school.

"'Ze school is big," she said, spotting the football field from the second floor windows. "Very big," she said, using hand gestures to articulate as she spread her arms out wide.

"Yeah, it's a lot to get used to, but it's not that bad."

"It's not that bad?" Rachel repeated, her voice questioning. Kurt leaned over and whispered the translation to her, which made her eyes light up in enthusiasm.

"No, it's _formidable!"_ She said, mixing French and English. "Everything in America is so _big."_ She looked up at Finn and blushed heavily. "Even 'ze boys!" He thought his heart skipped a beat as he took in her cherubic smile and enthusiastic attitude. It was borderline infectious as he felt his lips pull up in a smile.

"This is nothing, Rachel, you should see the mall," he said as she cocked her head to the side in confusion.

"What is this _mall?" _She wondered, but before he elaborated, Kurt pulled her by the wrist to his side.

"Before we start amazing her with the wonders of America, how about we get her home first? We still have to break the news to our parents that our exchange student is female and I'm sure my father is just going to be _thrilled."_Kurt was speaking too fast for Rachel to understand as she looked between both boys for some kind of explanation. Finn forced a smile for her benefit, thinking about Burt and the fight she was about to walk in on.

"We are leaving?" She asked politely, and Finn nodded as they returned to the French classrooms to pick up her luggage. He took the heaviest ones and followed Rachel, Kurt and Blaine out of the school while Kurt began a conversation with her in French. When she spoke her native language he was almost hypnotized by the sound of her voice and accent, and for the first time ever he wished that he had taken French instead of Spanish, just so he could communicate with her easier.

She sat in the backseat of Kurt's SUV with Finn and his eyes never left her frame as they maneuvered their way through Lima. Everything she saw amazed her, and he couldn't help but wonder why. She was from Paris, one of the most beautiful cities in the entire world, and here she was looking at the corn fields like they were made of gold. What was so damn special about his crappy hometown? He didn't understand, but she sure seemed to enjoy herself.

"It's beautiful," she whispered in wonder as the rest of Lima passed them by.

"Yeah," he agreed, looking only at her. "Beautiful."

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><p>Merci mille fois, mes amis!<p>

Don't stop reviewin'!


	2. House Rules

DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. They are the property of Ryan Murphy and FOX. This is purely for fun. Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chapter Two: House Rules<strong>

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><p>The atmosphere in the SUV was tense after Kurt dropped Blaine off at his house on the way home. Rachel was still staring out of the backseat window, in awe of the houses and the perfectly trimmed lawns that symbolized the epitome of Americana. She was completely unaware of the fact that Finn and Kurt were freaking out in the front seat about the shit storm that was about to occur in the Hummel-Hudson household when they walked in the front door.<p>

"My father is going to _kill _me," he whispered to Finn while Rachel pointed at things and "oohed" from the backseat.

"We just gotta keep our cool. He's not going to throw her out on the street," he said, furrowing his brow. "Would he?"

Kurt shook his head. "I don't think he's that cruel, but at this point, I can't be certain. I need to see his initial reaction and find some way to break it to him easy."

_"Mon Dieu!" _cried Rachel from the backseat. "'Ze houses are so _big!"_

"Is that the only adjective she _knows?" _Kurt snapped as they turned down their block. Finn shot him a stern look as he peeked at Rachel from the rear-view mirror. Her mouth was puckered open and a small gasp escaped her lips when they pulled into the driveway next to the other cars of the house.

"So many cars. . ." she said, hopping out of the backseat. She took her small, pink rolling luggage and handbag while Finn took her heavier luggage out of the truck. She blushed and shot him a shy _"Merci" _as she wheeled her bag towards the house. He was getting more and more nervous by the second as he pictured his step-father's furious face, so instead he focused on Rachel and her amusing reactions to her surroundings. She had to crane her neck in order to take in the entire front facade of the house, and her eyes grew wide as they approached the front door.

"It's a _château,"_ she whispered to herself as Kurt unlocked the front door. He pushed himself through the door before Rachel, hoping that his massive frame hid her from sight as he spotted his Mom and Burt in the kitchen. A banner that said _"Bienvenue!" _was hanging across the dining room and there was place settings for five people on the table as his parents entered the living room. Kurt and Finn stood in front of Rachel to hide her from view until the very last moment. His mouth felt ridiculously dry as he gulped in anticipation.

"So?" his mother said, grinning in anticipation. "Where is he?"

Finn and Kurt took one look at each other before nodding their heads and stepping to the side to reveal the concealed foreigner behind them. Kurt sighed as the blood drained from their parent's faces. "I present to you, _Miss _Rachel Beri, from Paris."

It was so silent in the living room that Finn thought he had suddenly gone deaf from the stress of the moment. His parents just stared at her like they had never seen a teenage girl before. Burt looked like he was about to say something when Rachel suddenly approached them with her rolling luggage still in hand and a bright _"Bonjour tout le monde!"_ falling from her lips as Finn and Kurt stared at the scene unfolding in front of them in horror.

She was speaking a strange mix of French and broken English she she approached Burt. "I come with gifts _pour vous!_" Dropping her luggage on the ground, she quickly unzipped it, pulling out a scarf and wrapping it around Burt's neck before giving him twin kisses on each cheek. "For 'ze Papa, a warm _écharpe_ for 'ze cold American winters." She approached Carole and wrapped one around her neck as well, giving her kisses as Carole laughed with a smile. "And one _pour Mama aussi_!" She seemed to reach her limit with English, and switched to French as Kurt rushed to translate.

"She says that she spent her entire life in Paris and always dreamed about coming to America," he said, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration as Finn listened to her speak her native tongue. "Wow, she's speaking so fast I can barely follow her. . . she's saying something along the lines of living the American dream and experiencing our culture and perfecting the language. She promises to improve her English soon, she says she just needs some practice." Rachel looked at Burt and smiled.

"I have two Papa's _chez moi!"_ She said brightly and without shame. "And now I have _Américain_ papa!" Turning to Carole, she grasped her hands in hers and squeezed them. "And I finally have a Mama! I am _so _happy!"

Carole smiled at the girl, and for a moment Finn thought his mother might cry. "Oh Burt, she is precious!" She took Rachel into her arms and hugged her tightly while Rachel reciprocated. "Can we keep her?"

Burt instantly went from a pale shade of white to a dark shade of red as his shock was quickly replaced by anger. "Carole, she is not a stray cat, she is a teenage girl! We have two boys living under this roof and we were not planning for this." Rachel looked between Burt and Carole, not understanding them while Finn and Kurt watched the argument unfold.

"What do you expect us to do? Send her away? This is her _dream,_ and we promised her a place to stay. We can't go back on our word now." Carole was stroking Rachel's hair as she glanced at her husband. "Besides, I always did secretly want a daughter."

"Hey!" Finn said, feeling slightly offended.

"Sorry, honey, but it's true. I think Rachel will be very happy here," Carole said, shooting Burt a knowing look that Finn did not understand. "As long as you set up some rules in order to keep this house functioning as normal, I don't see any problem with having her stay with us." Burt nodded his head grimly as Carole rubbed Rachel on her shoulders. "Come dear, let's get you unpacked while Burt talks to the boys."

As Carole led Rachel away, Finn got the sinking feeling in his chest that he was about to get yelled at as the ladies went upstairs. He made eye contact with Rachel for a split second and she was practically glowing with happiness as she waved goodbye to him, which made him smile.

Unfortunately, that smile instantly turned into a grimace as he turned to face his step-father. He was glaring at Kurt with a deep frown on his face and he looked so tense that Finn worried about his health.

"What the hell happened, Kurt?" he roared when the girls were out of earshot. "I thought this guest was supposed to be a boy!"

"I'll just be going now. . ." Finn said, trying to back out of the room. It wasn't his fault that Kurt had messed up on his application, why did he have to get yelled at for it? But Burt pointed to Finn and gave him a stern look as well.

"Don't you move an inch, Finn. This concerns you too." Finn groaned but complied as he plopped himself down on the couch. Kurt sat next to him as Burt started to pace around the living room, weighing his options. "Alright, here's the deal, now that she's staying with us she is my responsibility, so my rules are going to be law from now on."

"Yes, sir," the boys repeated.

"Good," Burt sighed, still overwhelmed with the turn of events. "So how did this happen again?"

Kurt heaved a sigh as he rubbed his temples. "I messed up on the application and they sent a girl because they thought I was one too." Burt shook his head as he pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"Alright, rule number one, under no circumstances are you to go in her room. Either of you. The guest room is off limits to anything with a Y chromosome." The boys nodded their heads in unison as he continued. "Second rule, she is not allowed in your bedrooms _at all_. If you want to socialize you have to do it downstairs with parental supervision."

"But Dad, she's here to learn from us, how can we limit where she goes around the house? What if she wants to borrow one of my DVD's, or use Finn's computer? She's not a prisoner, she's our guest!" Burt frowned and thought about it for a moment before relenting.

"Fine, if she has to be in either of your rooms for any reason, the door must be kept open at all times and an adult must be home. I'm serious."

"We get it, we get it," Kurt said as Burt turned to Finn with his eyes narrowed.

"And _you _just better watch yourself around her." Finn shot up in his seat and stared at his step-father, exasperated.

"What did _I_ do?" Finn asked. "None of this was my fault!"

"I know it wasn't your fault, but I don't have to worry about Kurt crushing on the cute little French girl. If I can't trust you in the house with her then we're going to have to resort to drastic measures."

Finn looked at Kurt for clarification but his step-brother just shrugged his shoulders. "You're not going to kick her out, will you?" Finn asked as Burt shook his head.

"I can't ask her to leave because I'm legally responsible for her now, but I can send _you_ away until she leaves as a precaution." Finn shot to his feet, completely flabbergasted at the turn of events as he faced off against Burt.

"Why does it feel like I'm getting punished for something I didn't even do? This is ridiculous!"

"It won't be an issue if we all follow the rules and adhere to the boundaries that I'm setting. I don't want to be the bad guy here, but now I'm responsible for a young, impressionable French teenage girl, and if she wants to be treated like a part of the family, then I'm going to protect her like she's really my daughter."

"But_ I'm_ your step-son!" Finn said, almost yelling. It just wasn't fair! "Don't you trust me?"

"I do, Finn. I do. But now that we have Rachel here the rules are going to be a lot more strict for the next eight weeks. As long as everyone follows them, then we won't have any problems." Burt clamped a hand on Finn's shoulder and looked him straight in the eyes. "We clear, son?"

"Yeah," Finn said, brushing his hand off. "Crystal." There was a beat of silence before Kurt jumped of of the couch with a clap of his hands.

"Well, now that we're all settled, I think I'll go check up on dinner. . ." Kurt took two steps before Burt turned his anger towards his son.

"Not so fast, boy. You're doing extra duty at the shop to make up for all the stress you're causing Carole and I and if I hear any complaints, then you're not allowed to go to Miami Beach with the girls for spring break."

"Dad!" He cried in horror.

"Don't you dare! Don't think you're going to get away with this just because I don't have to worry about you falling for the French girl." Speaking of the French girl, his mother and Rachel chose the perfect moment to come back downstairs and join the men as the dinner timer went off in the kitchen.

"I feel like a _princesse,"_ she said, staring around the house in wonder. "Your house is _très belle, Madame Uh-mell."_

"Thank you dear," Carole beamed at the young girl. "But please, call me Carole."

"Rachel," Burt called to her as she joined them in the living room. "There are some things we need to talk about."

"_D'accord,_" she said with a tentative smile. "Is there a _problème_?"

"Well, yes," Burt said, which caused Rachel to frown deeply.

"Did I do something bad?" She asked, her face falling.

"There are some things we need to discuss." He turned to his son. "Kurt, please translate for me so she understands fully." Kurt stepped forward and began to translate for Rachel's benefit. "While your here, you have to follow our rules, and right now we have to make sure to keep you separated from the boys, so you can't go into their bedrooms unless the door is open and there's an adult in the house. Do you understand?"

"_Oui,_" she said, a determined look on her face as she nodded. For a split second, her eyes met his from across the room and he had to look away. It was like she was reading his mind. He felt like she could see right through him.

"And the boys aren't allowed in your bedroom either, unless we're home and the door is open."

"Oui," she said firmly, nodding her head once more. "I promise."

Burt smiled warmly at the girl and patted her shoulder awkwardly. "Welcome to the family."

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><p>Dinner was an amusing affair. Rachel gushed about the food and the size of the house and the number of cars that the family owned throughout the entire meal. She promised to go food shopping after school just so she could cook them dinner the next night, and the family seemed excited about the French cuisine she was going to serve. Finn enjoyed trying to translate her multi-lingual conversations and listening to her speak with her native French accent. She really was adorable, but Burt's warnings were still ringing in his ear like alarm bells, just waiting to go off.<p>

He didn't doubt for a second that Burt was serious about his threat to send Finn away; he'd done it once before during sophomore year because of an incident with Kurt where he'd used a homophobic slur towards him, and even though he hadn't really meant it in a vicious way Burt had kicked him out of the house for a while. Deep down, he knew that Burt wouldn't hesitate to do it again if Finn broke his rules about Rachel, and he decided to keep himself at a safe distance from her at all times. He immediately went upstairs after dinner to play video games instead of watching TV with Rachel and his family, just so he could avoid her.

The clock on his bedside said 9:30 when he heard a soft knock on his door, and he turned around to find Rachel standing in his door-frame, looking amused as she stared around the room.

"Um, hi," he said awkwardly, trying not to fall off of his computer chair as he maneuvered it around to face her. She had changed from her day clothes into a pair of matching pink pajamas, and her shoulder length hair was loosely braided as it draped over her shoulder. He was only in sweatpants and a white t-shirt, so he couldn't help but feel a bit self-conscious around her.

_"Bonsoir,"_ she said, looking at the posters around the room. Her eyes landed on the drum kit in the far corner and her face lit up with excitement. _"Ah, c'est genial!" _She said, crossing the threshold of his room and approaching the instrument. "You play?"

"Yeah, I love the drums. I've been playing since I was a little kid." He was nervous that she was now fully immersed in his bedroom, breaking the important cardinal rule of the house. "But, like, you're not supposed to be in here." He hated sounding like a dweeb, but he'd rather admire her from afar than get kicked out of the house and not see her at all.

"Ah, _les règles_," she sighed. "But 'ze door is open," she said, shrugging her shoulders.

He looked at the open door and forced a smile. "Yeah, I guess you're right." Unfortunately, that didn't stop his heart from racing a mile a minute. When was the last time any girl was in his bedroom besides his mom? He had no idea as she lightly tapped the cymbal with her fingertip, creating a sharp, tinny sound.

"You play for me soon," she demanded, nodding her head. "And I will sing for you."

"Okay," he agreed, wondering about her musical skills. "Do you like to sing?"

_"Oui!"_ She said, very enthusiastic. _"C'est ma passion."_

"Your passion?" he repeated.

_"Oui," _her eyes were twinkling with excitement.

"Are you coming to glee club practice tomorrow?" He asked, knowing that she would enjoy it.

"Glee club?" She said, repeating the foreign word. "What is glee club?"

"Me and Kurt are in it. We sing, dance, and get to perform in competitions. You'll love it."

"I do not think I understand," she said with a frown.

"That's okay, you'll see tomorrow," she looked excited at the prospect of learning about glee club, and as much as he wanted her to stay in his room and chat, he knew that he could get in massive trouble for it if Burt were to come upstairs. It was still only her first day here, and if he got caught breaking the house rules on the first night then his parents were never going to trust him again. "You should get to bed. Tomorrow is a big day."

"Big day?" She repeated with eyes wide.

"Yeah, it's your first day of American school," he said as she clapped her hands together happily. A random thought entered his head as he walked over to his bookshelf and pulled out a tiny, pocket-sized book. "Here, this is for you," he said, handing it over to her.

_"Qu'est-ce que c'est?"_ She asked, turning through the pages and glancing up at him with wide eyes.

"It's a thesaurus. Kurt slipped it in my stocking this year in hopes that it would increase my vocabulary, but I think you'll get more use out of it then I will." Her eyes glanced through the pages and her excitement increased by the second.

"It's a book of English words!" She said, her face glowing.

"Yeah, so you can practice and learn more words," she held the book to her chest and hugged it tightly.

_"Merci bien, _Feen," she said, backing out of the room and opening the book. "You are very. . ." she turned the pages until she found the word she was looking for. ". . .Chivalrous. _Un gentilhomme_." He didn't know what a "jenty-um" was, but he hoped it was good. _"Bonne soirée!"_ She said before disappearing out of sight.

_"Bonne soirée," _he repeated, waving at his door like a fool. Kurt walked past his door a second later and saw him standing there, waving like a complete dweeb at nothing with a stupid grin on his face.

"What the heck are you doing?" He asked, exasperated, snapping Finn out of his French-induced trance.

"Quick, Kurt, what's a 'jenty-um'?" Finn asked in a rush and Kurt looked at him like he was crazy.

"A _what?_"

"A 'jenty-um', she called me a 'jenty-um,' what does it mean?"

It took a second before Kurt could understand what he was saying. "A _gentilhomme_? She really called you that?" Finn nodded and a knowing smile appeared on Kurt's face. "It means she thinks you're a gentleman," he laughed. "Maybe dad was right about those rules." His heart was racing at the implication, but he glared at his brother for the remark about the omnipresent rules.

"Burt has nothing to worry about. I don't plan on breaking the rules anytime soon."

"Yes, but what about the princess? All she needs is a noble knight to make her fairy tale complete."

"Just go to bed," Finn said trying to ignore Kurt's comments. "We've all got a big day ahead of us tomorrow. She's going to be shadowing your every move all day for the next eight weeks, so you better be prepared for this."

_"Oui, bien sur," _he groaned, is voice heavy with sarcasm. "I can't wait." Kurt shuffled into his room, probably to call Blaine about face wash, while Finn stood in the hallway and stared at Rachel's closed door. She was so close to him, but unless he broke Burt's staunch rules, there was no way they could be anything other than friends. She probably had a boyfriend in France anyway, he thought to himself bitterly as he returned to his video games in lieu of going to bed. She was here to learn, and after eight weeks she would be gone for good.

But until then, he was going to make sure she had the best American experience _ever._

She was a part of the family now, after all.

* * *

><p>Merci mille fois, mes amis!<p>

Don't stop reviewin'!


	3. High School Blues

DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. They are the property of Ryan Murphy and FOX. This is purely for fun. Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chapter Three: High School Blues<strong>

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><p>Getting ready for school the next morning was a challenge, to say the least. For a moment Finn had completely forgotten about their guest and thought that the beautiful girl brushing her teeth in his sink was a mirage, leftover from his dreams. He had to quickly stutter an apology and run back into his room before she noticed that he wasn't wearing any pants besides his boxers, and he refused to come back out of his room until he was sure that she was downstairs.<p>

He just didn't know how to act around her, plain and simple. It's not like they had a lot in common, and she was here to learn the language and experience the culture, so she really didn't need any distractions. The language barrier was reason enough to keep his distance, but he knew deep down that he couldn't just avoid her and act awkwardly around her for the next eight weeks. Maybe it would be best to just keep his distance from her and patiently wait out the next two months until she went back to her own country.

By the time he was finally dressed and downstairs Kurt and Rachel had already left for school, wanting to get there as early as possible so Rachel could find her locker and get acclimated to her new school environment. Finn ate his breakfast in silence before driving himself to school, walking in just in time to see Kurt introduce Rachel to some of the other members of the glee club, who were all huddled around the new transfer student's locker. Rachel was the center of attention and she seemed to enjoy it as people asked her questions and Kurt served as translator.

She was wearing a navy blue turtleneck with a red pleated skirt and white tights. Her white beret was perched on her head and she had a thick white belt cinching her waist as her little Eiffel tower earrings bounced with every shake of her head.

In essence, she looked like a walking French flag.

"Feen!" She yelled, spotting him in the hallway and calling him over with a wave of her hand. "I make friends!" He couldn't help but smile as he approached his group of friends, and said hello to Tina, Mike, Mercedes and Artie who were all huddled around her. "Isn't it _super_?"

"Yeah," he agreed with a nod of his head. "We're all in glee club together." Her mouth dropped open in awe as she looked around the group.

"You sing?" She questioned as the rest of them laughed.

"Oh, girl, you have no idea!" Mercedes said with a wave of her hand.

"We're the best glee club in the region," Tina added. "Probably the state."

"Regionals is in four weeks. Are you going to join us?" Artie asked, and Rachel turned to Kurt for a translation.

"Regionals?" She asked, and Kurt quickly described the competition process. Her mouth dropped open in shock as she learned more and more about the singing club. "I will be there!" She said as the bell rang in the background. Her enthusiasm was infectious as the other kids smiled and said their goodbyes.

They had a few minutes left before they were marked late to class and the group began to dissipate, leaving Finn, Kurt and Rachel together in the hall. They started to walk down the corridor together when Santana suddenly came up from behind them and ripped the beret right off of Rachel's head, holding it up high and taunting her.

"Tough luck, French fry," she sneered as Kurt chuckled quietly to himself.

"Hey, give it back, Santana," Finn said, stepping forward and grabbing it from her hands. He passed it over to Rachel who uttered a shy _'Merci' _in thanks. "Give her a break, it's her first day."

"Well, Dough Boy, If I wanted to give her a break I would have ignored her, but I figured I'd do her a favor and ease her into the way this school works." Rachel looked hurt and a bit confused as she looked in-between Finn and Santana for clarification. "Have fun in America, Cream Puff," Santana said sweetly to Rachel, swaying her hips as she walked away with Brittany. "Keep hanging around with Dough Boy over there and you two can open a bakery!" Rachel's face was pinched in anger as she watched the cheerleaders walk away, and shoved the hat back on her head with what sounded like a low growl.

"Mean girls," she whispered. "'Zey are _partout."_

"Hey, don't let them bother you. I get it from them all the time," he shrugged his shoulders with a smile but she didn't reciprocate as Kurt pulled her down the hall in the opposite direction from Finn's first period class.

"Come on, we're going to be late." Rachel waved goodbye to Finn and obediently followed Kurt to class. The only period that they all shared together was lunch, so Finn knew that he wouldn't see Rachel again until then. At least he had lunch and glee club to look forward to as the rest of the morning passed him by. He often caught himself wondering about Rachel, and how she was doing in her classes. Were people being mean to her? The incident with Santana was still on his mind as the lunch bell rang and he headed towards the cafeteria.

He spotted his group of friends immediately; they were all seated at their normal table, but this time there was an extra seat next to Kurt which Rachel now occupied. She looked happier than he'd ever seen her as the entire glee club surrounded her, and even Santana was there with Brittany at her side, seemingly docile for the moment. He approached the table and sat down across from Rachel with a smile.

"Hey guys," he greeted as he dropped his backpack to the side of his chair. His friends waved hello and he noticed that Rachel was in the middle of a conversation with Tina when Puck leaned over and clapped him on the back.

"Good going, Hudson. Who knew the French girl was going to be such a hottie?" Puck was speaking low enough that no one else could hear him in the noisy din of the lunchroom.

He shrugged his shoulders. "I didn't plan on it."

"Yeah, but she's living in your house!" Puck peeked at her from the corner of his eye and grinned lasciviously. "Do you think she shaves? I heard French girls don't do that."

He elbowed his friend in the side. "Knock it off, asshole."

"I'm serious, dude! I saw it in this weirdo foreign flick with nudity, this lady's muff was like a bush!" Finn shook his head, trying to ignore him in vain. "They don't shave their pits, either. When you find out, let me know."

"I won't be finding out anything, Puck. She's a student and she's living with my family. That's it." He was seriously annoyed at the way Puck was talking about Rachel and he didn't appreciate it. Peeking at her from the corner of his eye, he couldn't help but notice how happy she looked, and how pretty her smile was as she grinned at her new friends.

He was about to open his mouth and ask her about her first day, when all of a sudden Miss Pillsbury approached the table, looking directly at him with a tentative smile. His whole body froze in fear as his other friends greeted her, but she turned her attention directly towards Finn as he instantly became the focal point of the group.

"Finn, may I please speak with you in my office?" Her smile was kind and warm, but it did nothing to alleviate the tension that wracked his entire body. Miss Pillsbury was a nice woman; he liked her and she was really good at giving advice and always had anti-bacterial soap when you needed it, but there was a reason why he didn't want to talk to her.

A really _big _reason.

"Um," he said, scratching the back of his neck, trying to think of something that could help him avoid the inevitable. "Do I have to come now? Can't I come after school?"

Miss Pillsbury shot him a knowing look. "We both know that you have glee club practice after school today, Finn. Follow me, I promise I won't bite." Everyone at the table was staring at him with various shades of amusement, except for Rachel, who looked confused and a bit sad. With a heavy sigh, he grabbed his backpack and stood up from the table, peeking at Rachel once before he left. He could almost feel her eyes following his back as he exited the lunchroom and followed Miss Pillsbury to her office.

It was a tense minute before she finally smiled hesitantly at him.

"Finn, I think we both know why I called you down here," she said kindly. Finn shook his head as his pulse began to race in anticipation.

"Um, not really," he lied, trying to push his problems as far away as possible. Miss Pillsbury gave him a stern look as she pulled up his file on her computer.

"Finn, the last time you were in my office was in November, and the boy I talked to back then is not the boy that's sitting in front of me now." He tried to look anywhere but her kind and helpful eyes as the guilt started to gnaw away at his indifference. His stomach felt sour when he thought about his last visit to Miss P's office and what they had discussed back then. "Can we please talk about the recruiter from Ohio State?"

"No," he said, defensively. That was something he really _did not_ want to talk about.

"Finn," she said sternly. "In November we were filling out the application to Ohio State together. After the recruiter came and left, it was like you turned into a completely different person as far as school was concerned. You never even applied and you haven't come back to see me since then." She exhaled deeply before continuing. "I know that you were looking forward to playing football for Ohio State, but there are other schools out there that you can apply to."

"I don't want to apply anywhere else," he said gruffly, the disappointment eating away at him like acid.

"Well then I would like to know your ideas, Finn. What would you like to do next year?" The more she pushed him to think about his future the less he wanted to deal with it.

"I don't know," he admitted out loud for the first time. "I just. . . want to be happy."

Miss Pillsbury gave him a sad smile. "I know, Finn. I want you to be happy too, that's why I'm here. You have so much potential, I really want you to reconsider your options." He thought he was off the hook for the time being until Miss Pillsbury dropped a bombshell on him. "I already called your parents to let them know how worried I am about you, Finn. I want you to talk to them and see if you can work out a plan for your future together."

_"You called my parents?" _He repeated in horror. It suddenly felt stifling in the tiny little office as he thought about his parent's reaction.

"I'm concerned, Finn. It's January and the majority of your fellow classmates already know what school they're attending next year. College isn't the only option available, you know? Talk to your parents and see if you can work something out."

"Yeah," he grunted, "Can I get a pass back to lunch now?" Miss Pillsbury gave him a soft, sympathetic smile as he took his pass and left her office. What was the point in figuring out his future when he was destined to be a Lima loser for the rest of his life? He hadn't impressed the scout from Ohio State and football was the only thing he could ever call his own. He wasn't talented enough to get into a music program and his grades had always been shitty. All he saw in his future was a tire-shop, a beer belly and a life full of misery.

He arrived back at his lunch table just as everyone was throwing away their plates. Rachel spotted him and waved enthusiastically, trying to make conversation with him when all he wanted to do was disappear.

"Feen! Where you go?" Shrugging his shoulders, he just tried to shove as much food into his mouth as possible before the bell rang and he lost his chance to eat. She frowned at his lack of an answer and even though he felt like shit for it, decided to just ignore her instead of force himself to make conversation she couldn't even understand. She eventually turned away from him and chatted with Kurt and the girls while Finn closed himself off from everyone.

The cloud of depression followed him around all afternoon. He hadn't had any time to eat during the remainder of lunch so he was starving, and the only thing he could think about was the conversation he was bound to have with his parents that night. When they realized how badly he'd been procrastinating his future plans they were going to be furious.

In fact, he was so upset that his misery followed him all the way to glee club, which was his normal respite from the stress of the day. He spotted Rachel right away but couldn't be bothered to care. She was currently the center of attention as the other members of the group huddled around her in conversation and he sat all the way in the back in hopes that no one would notice him.

As far as the team was concerned, Mr. Schuester was thrilled to have Rachel attend the practice and ordered the team to perform their winning number from Sectionals for their guest to show her the true talents of the glee club. He just stood in the back and tried not to mess up too badly in front of her as she watched the group perform. At one point her jaw actually dropped open, and she covered her mouth with her hand as they went through the entire eight minute Jackson routine, along with the choreography. During his solo he had to avoid looking into her eyes altogether; her gaze was so intense it was almost distracting.

By the time they were done with the routine she was already out of her seat, clapping wildly and almost in tears.

_"Bravo,"_ she cried, the emotion plainly visible on her face. _"Formidable! Super!"_

"So what do you think of the club, Rachel?" Mr. Schuester asked. "Would you like to audition?" She nodded her head quickly as the other members sat down patiently.

"It is _génial_," she said, the smile on her face almost making her glow with happiness. "I sing for you now."

"Well, come on and show us what you've got," Finn sat all the way in the back and watched Rachel prepare herself as she stood in front of the club. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes for a second before opening them once more and beginning her song.

The sound that came out of her mouth almost knocked him right out of his seat.

He was stunned as he watched her audition for the rest of the group. Mercedes and Santana, the divas of the club, looked at each other with a clear panic in their eyes while Mr. Schuester looked like he had struck gold. Finn leaned forward to whisper into his brother's ear as she continued to belt her heart out and fill the room with the most amazing sound he had ever heard.

"Dude, did you know she could sing like that?" Kurt shook his head while Blaine reached into his bag for a tissue.

"No way. I had no idea," Blaine sniffled next to him and passed one to Kurt as well, who actually accepted it and blotted away the moisture from his eyes. "She's amazing."

"She's our ticket to Nationals," Sam said to Finn, lifting up his hand for a fist bump. Finn returned the gesture, but he could barely keep his eyes off of Rachel for even a second. Her voice hypnotized him and for a moment he forgot all about the pressures of school and work and life in general and just focused on the sound that came out of her mouth.

It was the most amazing sound that he had ever heard in his life.

When she finished her song with her arms stretched out, holding a note that made goosebumps erupt on Finn's skin, the cloud of depression that had surrounded him had all but dissipated as the rest of the club gave her a standing ovation. Santana refused to clap, instead rolling her eyes and stomping off as the rest of the group congratulated their new addition. Mr. Schuester welcomed Rachel to New Directions and gave her the team's schedule and other necessary information.

"Regionals is in about a month and you're going to be our secret weapon!" Rachel seemed ecstatic and Finn was relieved that the team now had another star to whip out during competitions.

Unfortunately, Mr. Schuester called an abrupt end to the practice after Rachel's audition and Finn was forced to face his demons as the members of the group started to leave and go home. He knew what was waiting for him when he arrived there so instead of facing the inevitable, he decided to put in an hour or two at the shop to keep him busy.

He walked out of the school with Kurt and Rachel, who were trailing behind him as he made is way to his truck. "Kurt, tell Burt and Mom that I'll be at the shop for a little while. There are things that I have to take care of." He went to open the door of his truck when a small, perfectly manicured hand grabbed his wrist and held him in place.

_"Mais non! _I make 'ze food tonight!" She said forcefully, her eyes stern as she placed the other hand on her hip in protest. Her face was scrunched up in aggravation and he couldn't help but smile at her unintentional cuteness.

"I'll be home by 6, Rachel. I promise." She didn't look like she believed him, but she eventually let go of his wrist. His skin was tingling from the contact as he hopped into the front seat and drove towards the shop.

He was probably going to be stuck there forever anyway, he better get used to it now.

* * *

><p>He arrived home exactly at 6pm, running upstairs immediately in order to avoid his parents and their inevitable conversation. He threw his backpack down with a sigh and looked up at himself in the mirror, taking a deep breath as he heard Rachel's voice calling his name from downstairs.<p>

_This is it_, he said to himself before descending the stairs to the ground floor. Rachel was balancing plates of food on her hands as she brought them into the dining room and the rest of his family was already seated and ready to eat. He took one look at his mother and wished he hadn't; she was staring at him with worry etched deeply into the contours of her face and kept whispering over to Burt, who also looked grim. Finn was too afraid to even look at his step-father in the eye as he started shoving some creamy kind of vegetable into his mouth. It was delicious, but he couldn't really savor the flavor when his parents were staring at him like they were about to pounce.

"I prepare my favorite _plats,"_ Rachel said animatedly as she placed more dishes down on the table. "And _pour les desserts, _I 'ave _patisseries _that I make myself!" She looked over at Finn, beaming with pride.

"It's really good," he said, shoving another forkful into his mouth as he caught his parents staring at him in his periphery. He gulped down the food nervously as his mother begin to speak.

"Finn, we got a phone call today from Miss Pillsbury," Kurt had an eyebrow raised in suspicion as Rachel's eyes bounced between Finn and his parents in confusion. His heart started racing and it felt like the walls were closing in on him. "When were you going to tell us that you didn't apply to Ohio State?" He saw a glob of food fall off of Kurt's fork as he stared at his step-brother in shock.

Finn shrugged his shoulders as he tried to remain as calm as possible. "What does it matter? I wasn't going to get in anyway."

"Finn," Burt's voice was stern and authoritative. "We want you to have every option available to you next year. Maybe after dinner we can talk about Community Colleges or internships."

He let the fork drop out of his hand. Rachel's food was delicious but he no longer felt hungry. "I don't want to go to a Community college," he said, sounding like a whiny baby in front of Rachel and Kurt.

"Well if you're reconsidering taking over the tire shop, then maybe a few business classes wouldn't be a bad idea," his mom added, and the mere mention of the tire shop made all of his control snap like taut rubber bands.

"I don't want to take over the stupid shop!" He screamed, standing up from the table and scaring Rachel so badly that she squeaked from her position next to him. "I don't want this life for myself! I don't want to stay in shitty Lima forever."

"Don't you _dare _talk to your mother that way!" Burt said, standing up as well. "We're trying to help you, Finn, but you have to want to help yourself too. Miss Pillsbury reached out to you, we're reaching out to you, and you're throwing it back in our faces."

Scoffing, he ignored the food in front of him and backed away from the table. His stomach was growling like crazy because he hadn't eaten lunch and now he was running away from one of the most delicious meals of his life because the pressure had become too much to handle. He was already embarrassed over fighting with his parents in front of Rachel, and he caught her staring after him with a worried look in her gaze as he called over his shoulder.

"Maybe I don't want any help," he said bitterly as he climbed up the stairs two-at-a-time. He closed the door behind him and locked it, falling face first on the bed and blocking out the conversations from downstairs with loud music.

It was hours before the family turned in for the night. Finn stayed in his room all evening long, without even saying goodnight to anyone or apologizing to his parents as his stomach rolled with pain. It felt like he could eat a horse, and he waited patiently until everyone else fell asleep so he could go downstairs and sniff out some leftovers.

The kitchen was dark when he went downstairs, save for the small light above the oven. All of Rachel's leftovers were already wrapped in airtight containers in the fridge, and Finn pulled some out and threw together a plate that he could eat cold. He was so depressed about his shitty day that he didn't even bother heating it up as he ate a majority of his feelings. A pale pink box on the counter-top caught his attention and he reached for it, opening it up to reveal the most perfect pastries he had ever seen in his life. They looked delicious and he quickly shoved one of them in his mouth, followed by another.

"No wonder Santana calls me a fat-ass all the time," he said to himself in the darkness of the kitchen as he popped another one into his mouth. Without a career in football, he was just going to end up like all the other Lima losers in town; unhappy, fat, balding and stuck in a job that he hated. "But these pastries are fucking fantastic."

"Fucking _fantastique_?" He heard a soft, feminine voice repeat his crass words. "Is that good?" Turning around quickly, he threw the pink box of pastries back on the counter-top and tried not to look like he had just eaten five of them.

"Um," he stuttered. "Yeah, I guess so. But you shouldn't use that word."

_"Fantastique?"_ She repeated with her head cocked. "Or fucking?" His face blushed crimson as the foul curse word fell from her lips. She made it sound so sexy with her accent that he had to bite his tongue.

"The second one," he said, shuffling awkwardly from one foot to the other. "The food was really good, though." She nodded once in understanding and continued to stand in the kitchen smiling at him. It kind of made him nervous. "What are you doing awake? It's late."

She shook her head but didn't say anything, which confused Finn. Even when no one could understand her she was still always chatting and trying to say _something_, so her silence was making him nervous. "H-How was your first day at school?"

"I like school," she said softly. "I like glee club too."

"I'm glad," he said genuinely. "Your voice is amazing and it will really help us at Regionals."

_"Merci," _she said, a light blush staining her cheeks as she looked at him through hooded eyes. "You sing _très bien._" He blushed at her praise and tried to brush it off like it was nothing, when in fact the simple compliment made his heart race. "I know why you are sad," she said suddenly, and part of him wanted to jut retreat back up to his room but something kept him in place. Those big brown eyes of hers were probably reading his mind.

"What?"

"Kurt tells me. He says. . ." she seemed to struggle with the words. "You not know what to do after school."

"Ah," he said, feeling bitter that Kurt would betray his trust to a complete stranger. "Well, he's right." She nodded her head once and walked forward, trapping him between her tiny little French body and the hard, cold counter-top.

"Do you want to know _un secret_?," she asked, her eyes shining with enthusiasm.

"What is it?" He was so close to her that he could smell the flowery perfume that bathed her skin.

"I don't have plans, either," she said.

"Really?" He said, his hope flickering like a candle.

"_Non_," she said with a smile. "I have **dreams**, and I make 'zem come true."

"Oh. Cool," he said, losing hope once more. Even the French girl had ambitions to look forward to once she graduated. What did he have?

"You come with me," she said suddenly, and Finn did a double take at the tiny girl who had him trapped in his own kitchen.

"Yeah, right," he replied bitterly and she poked him in the arm sharply with her fingertip.

"_Je suis seriouse!"_ She said, and even though he didn't understand what she said, he could almost feel her emotion crackling in the air. She meant what she said.

"Well, what are your dreams?" He asked, curious about her ambitions. If she was inviting him along for the ride he might as well know, but a knowing smile crept onto her face as she shook her head slowly.

"_C'est un secret,_" she said, wiggling her finger back and forth playfully. He didn't understand what kind of a game she was playing, but he wanted to know the next move. "_Bonne soirée, Feen_," she said, finally backing up and giving him space. Winking once, she bounced back upstairs without another word, leaving him in the kitchen by himself, full of questions that no one but the French girl could answer.

"That girl might just be insane," he sighed, talking to himself as he opened up the pink box and shoved another pastry into his mouth. "But damn, she can make a good pastry."

* * *

><p>Merci mille fois, mes amis!<p>

Don't stop, reviewin'!


	4. My American Hero

DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. They are the property of Ryan Murphy and FOX. This is purely for fun. Enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Four: My American Hero<strong>

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><p>Finn didn't sleep very well that night at all; he didn't know whether it was from all the food he had shoved down his throat or the look of disappointment on his parent's faces during their argument, but something had kept him up all night long, tossing and turning. Maybe it was the secret that had been dancing in Rachel's eyes that had kept him up so late; he was aching to know what her plans were now that he was officially invited along for the ride, but she was probably just teasing him. There was no way that a beautiful, ambitious French girl like her would ever fall for a loser like him, so he didn't want to get his hopes up in vain. No, the unease he felt was definitely a result of the stress he was currently feeling about his future.<p>

Yeah, that _had _to be it.

He woke up earlier than normal the next morning, probably due to his lack of sleep throughout the night. When he came downstairs to eat breakfast he spotted his mother in the kitchen and immediately felt guilty over their argument from the night before. She gave him a kind smile while she stirred her coffee which made him feel even worse.

"Mom?" He said, approaching her with hesitation. "I'm sorry about last night." She opened up her arms for a hug and he immediately fell into her embrace, holding her tightly and feeling like an over-sized baby.

"Me too, honey. We shouldn't have brought it up during dinner like that in front of Rachel and Kurt."

"No, I shouldn't have yelled at you like that," he said, pulling away from her. "It's not your fault that I don't know what to do with myself after graduation." She rubbed his arms tenderly and gave him a reassuring smile.

"We'll figure something out, Finn. I promise." The smile he gave her didn't reach his eyes as she grabbed her purse and coat. "I'll see you tonight. We can talk more."

"Yeah, sure," he said as she left the house for the day. He was still feeling bummed as he poured himself a bowl of cereal and munched away at it while Kurt and Rachel descended the stairs and joined him for breakfast. Rachel was wearing a bright pink dress today, her ever present white beret perched on her head as she smiled at him brightly from her seat across the table.

"Are you working today after school?" Kurt asked him as Rachel kept smiling at him in a way that made him self-conscious. Was there something on his face?

"Um, no," he said, picking up a napkin and rubbing his mouth just in case. There was nothing there. "I wasn't planning on it."

"We go to mall today!" Rachel said brightly as she popped a strawberry into her mouth. "You come too," it was more of a demand than a question and Finn shook his head.

"I really shouldn't. I promised Mom that we would talk about my post-graduation plans this afternoon." Rachel's face fell as a deep frown pulled down her lips.

_"Mais Feen," _she said, her lower lip trembling. "You say we see 'ze mall." Her big brown eyes were wide and pleading and he felt his resolve crumble under the weight of her stare. How could he say no to a girl like her? She looked so sad and he hated that he was the cause of it.

"You really want me to come?" He asked, rubbing the back of his neck shyly. Kurt was giving him a pointed look from across the table and he chose to ignore it.

_"Bien sur!" _She said, her face lighting up once more.

"Alright," he relented while one of Kurt's eyebrows raised in amusement. "I'll come."

"We can take my car to school today, we'll need the extra space since Blaine is coming with us as well. We need to start coordinating our outfits for Regionals." Kurt grabbed his bag and started to clean up from breakfast. "Come on guys, we're going to be late."

Finn obediently followed Kurt and Rachel to the car and took the back seat so Kurt could sit with Blaine after they picked him up. It was comfortable in the backseat with Rachel; she was mostly preoccupied with looking out of the window, but today the French girl turned to face Finn with the same mischievous smile she had been giving him all morning long.

"What is it?" He asked finally, feeling more than a little tense as she continued to stare at him.

Her response was a shake of her head and the same knowing smile.

And _damn _it was a pretty smile.

They arrived at school on time and Finn followed his friends through the halls of McKinely high school until they came across a barrier that set Finn's nerves on edge. The hallway was blocked off by Rick the Stick and all of his douchebag teammates from the hockey team. They were all carrying familiar white cups, filled to the brim with ice cold slushies.

It was a slushie blitzkrieg waiting to happen as Kurt, Blaine, Finn and Rachel stopped dead in their tracks. Rachel went to move forward, unaware of the clear and present danger, and Finn grabbed her by the wrist, pulling her behind him.

"Don't move," he ordered her. "Stay right here." He saw her nod her head from his periphery as he turned to face Rick and wished that he could rip that greasy mullet right off of his head.

"Where's the new girl, Hudson? She needs to be initiated."

"Fuck off," he said as Blaine stepped forward next to him in solidarity. At least he knew that Blaine could swing a punch if it came down to it. "Just leave her alone and there won't be any problems."

"No way," he said, malice dripping from his every word. "She fits all the criteria for a slushie facial; she's new, she joined the glee club and she hangs out with _you losers."_Rick turned to laugh along with his other friends, and when he turned to face Finn once more, he was shocked as Finn cocked back his arm and landed a hard punch right to the face.

The cup went flying out of his hand and a massacre had begun.

Bright purple slush was flying through the air as Finn tackled Rick to the ground, his fists flying everywhere. When Rick called him a loser something inside of him had snapped and he lost all control of his emotions as he released his frustrations on the hockey captain. Blaine got pulled into the fight as well, and Finn saw Kurt dragging Rachel away from the messy fight as the goalie jumped on Finn's back and tried to pry him off of Rick. People were slipping all over the place on the slick floor as Rick landed a hard punch right into Finn's gut, knocking out the air and leaving him gasping for breath.

"What is the meaning of this?" A loud roar could be heard behind him and all motion stopped as Coach Beiste hovered over the cold and slimy fray. Finn looked up at his coach with true fear in his gaze as she tried to remain balanced on the slippery floor. "Hudson, Anderson, you're coming with me! The rest of you report to Figgins! MOVE IT!" The boys all scrambled to their feet, trying not to fall on the sticky hallway. Finn was covered in slushie all over; it was soaked all the way down to his undershirt and he could even feel it swimming in his shoes. He followed Beiste to the locker room and she pointed towards the showers.

"Get clean and meet me in my office. We have a lot to discuss." Blaine and Finn were obedient as they followed orders, showering quickly and changing into spare gym clothes.

Blaine was the first one to speak when they arrived in Beiste's office, and the coach did not look happy. "Ma'am, I would like to preface this meeting by saying that this incident was not our fault. The hockey guys instigated us and threatened to slushie the new girl. We were just trying to protect her."

"I understand that, Anderson, but you can't fight on school grounds, either of you. Figgins is going to deal with the hockey team, but I want to know why two upstanding guys like you would resort to such petty violence?"

Finn shrugged his shoulders, the word _loser_ still echoing in his mind as he thought of Rachel and the image of her covered in purple slush. He couldn't just let Rick get away with that. "I'm sorry, Coach. It won't happen again."

"It shouldn't have happened in the first place," she sighed deeply and wrote them both passes for first period. "I hate to do this but you're both serving detention with me on Saturday." Shit, his parents were really going to kill him. First Pillsbury was on his case, now Bieste was too. Blaine groaned and let his head fall back while Finn tried not to picture Burt's angry face. "Now get going and stay out of trouble."

"Yes, Coach Beiste," they said in unison as they left the locker room.

Blaine shoved his hands in the pockets of his gym pants as they made their way through the halls and Finn turned to him with a grateful smile. "Thanks for having my back today, Blaine. I really appreciate it."

"Yeah, no problem. I'll never let a bully walk over me or my friends ever again and Rachel didn't deserve a slushie facial. She's a sweet girl."

"Yeah," he agreed, picturing her shocked face from this morning and hoping she was okay. "She's great."

He felt Blaine nudge him playfully in the side. "You don't have a thing for her, do you?" Blaine asked while Finn blushed crimson.

"N-No way!" He responded, a little too quickly as he looked away from embarrassment. "She lives in my house."

"Yeah, but like, the way she smiles at you. . ." he said as Finn's head snapped up. He'd noticed it too?

"What?" Blaine brushed it off with a wave.

"I'm probably just reading into it too much. Kurt is finally starting to rub off on me," he said with a grin as he entered his classroom. "See ya later, dude."

"Yeah," Finn said to himself as he continued his trek to first period alone, his head still filled with questions that needed answers. "See ya."

* * *

><p>It was a long and tedious morning for Finn as he struggled to remain focused during his classes. His mind was currently stuck on Rachel and even after trying countless distractions, which included actually doing his work and paying attention, he still couldn't get the French transfer student out of his mind.<p>

At least he knew he wasn't crazy; Rachel really had been staring at him funny and even Blaine had noticed, so he knew that something was up. He didn't want to ask Kurt to translate for him because he was too embarrassed to get caught asking about the exchange student and even more worried about what her response would be.

It was driving him insane.

All he had to do was wait until lunch and then he would be sure. If she was still staring at him funny then he was going to say something about it. He couldn't be awkward around her forever.

Unfortunately for Finn, she wasn't in lunch with Kurt and the rest of his friends. He approached his step-brother and asked where she was and he said that she had disappeared to call her dads. Apparently Paris was six hours ahead of Ohio and noon was the best time to call them. He couldn't help but feel the sting of disappointment when she arrived right before the bell rang. At least she sat down right next to him.

However, she refused to look him in the eye.

Was he hallucinating or something? This morning she was practically staring holes right through him and now she wouldn't even look him in the face. Now _he_ was the one staring at her throughout the end of lunch and when the bell rang he followed her out of the lunch room and grabbed her by the wrist so he could talk to her. She gasped when she turned around and looked him in the eye and for a moment he thought that he saw fear in her gaze.

He let go of her wrist instantly. Maybe the fight this morning had scared her? Maybe she thought he was nothing but a huge barbarian and a thug?

"Are we still going to the mall today?" He asked her as a light blush spread across her face.

_"Oui," _was all she said with a nod of her head before she practically ran away from him in the other direction. He felt like garbage for the rest of the day, wishing that there was a way for them to communicate easier so she could understand. He didn't mean to get into that fight, he was simply trying to protect her. Didn't she realize that?

She was still avoiding his gaze when they met up by Kurt's car after school. In fact, she was incredibly quiet throughout their trip to the mall and even Kurt's efforts to start a conversation with her in French were in vain as she closed herself off from everyone.

Her infectious happiness returned, however, one they arrived at the mall. She took one look at the giant building and the stores it offered and couldn't help but smile and jump around from store to store. She pulled them all into Macy's and Finn branched off from her and the boys so he could pick up a new sweater to replace the sticky one that was still in his gym locker at school. Wandering around the mall was a welcome distraction from his hectic week and all the problems he'd been facing up until now. Eventually he found a decent shirt and paid for it, using his height as an advantage as he sniffed out Rachel, Kurt and Blaine in the store. He saw his step-brother with Blaine by the cologne case and looked around for Rachel, who was nowhere in sight.

"Hey," he greeted them while he looked around for the familiar bright pink dress. "Where's Rachel?" Blaine's eyes shot open from shock as Kurt turned around to face Finn with concern in his gaze.

"We thought she was with you," he said, his face becoming deathly pale. "She was following you when you walked off, we thought you were together this entire time." Panic instantly shot through his system like a drug as his pulse began to race.

"No way, man, I thought she was with you." He looked at the crowd around him and not a single person in his periphery was wearing a white beret. Rachel was lost in the mall with no way to find him and he could feel a burst of adrenaline shoot through his system. "We'll split up. You two take the upper levels and we'll meet at Starbucks. She has to be in the mall somewhere, we just have to find her."

"Finn, the girl barely speaks English," Kurt said as they quickly ran throughout Macy's.

"So start yelling in French!" He called to them, splitting apart and letting the adrenaline in his veins fuel his search for her. _She must be terrified,_ he thought to himself as he pushed through the sea of people. He went through every section in Macy's and she was nowhere to be seen as he continued his frantic search for her. "Rachel!" He called out over the heads of the people around them. There was no answer as people looked at him like he was crazy.

"Fuck!" He cursed liberally, exiting the Macy's and entering the long and crowded corridors of the mall. She didn't even have a cell phone that he could call, and he doubted that she would be able to follow his directions back anyway. He needed to find her, and he needed to find her _now._

He ran towards the food court, where the crowds became thicker and more dense. A bright flash of color grabbed his attention as he looked across the mall where the Auntie Anne's pretzel station was. A short girl with a white beret was clutching a bag to her side and looking at her surroundings in confusion. He cupped his hands around his mouth and called to her. "Rachel!" The girl turned immediately and Finn heaved a deep sigh of relief as he recognized the family guest. He started to run towards her and she did the same, quickly closing the distance between them as his panic subsided.

"_Feen_!" She yelled. "_Feen_!" He slowed down as she approached him, but she seemed to pick up speed and crashed right into his chest, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face into his shirt.

"Whoa," he said, looking around him to gauge other people's reactions. No one even seemed to notice them, so he wrapped his arms around her tiny frame and realized that she was shaking. "Are you okay?"

_"Non," _she said, sniffling lightly as she looked up into his eyes. She was visibly upset as her eyes filled with tears. "Do not go." His heart broke for her as he noticed the panic on her face. His arms tightened around her body as he rested his cheek on her soft, white beret.

"I'm not going anywhere, Rachel. I've got you." Her body was warm and soft and pressed up against him in the most intimate way, so he pulled back to give them some space.

"I was so lost," she said, shaking her head. "I no understand the signs." She looked up at him and the same yearning from this morning was now plainly visible in her gaze once again. If only he understood what it meant. He started to walk them towards Starbucks and quickly texted Kurt to tell him that the French girl had been found. "'Ze mall is **too **big."

"Why did you leave Kurt?" He asked her as she clutched his sleeve, too afraid to let go as they walked through the mall together, side by side.

"I want to talk to you," she said sadly, looking away from him.

"Okay," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "What do you want to talk about?"

_"C'est le problème,"_ she sighed. "I do not know 'ze words."

"Ah," he said, finally starting to understand her behavior around him. There was definitely something that she wanted to say to him, but she didn't know enough English to get her point across. "Then maybe you can tell Kurt and he can translate it for me." A certain panic entered her gaze and she shook her head.

"Non, 'zey are _mes secrets._ **I** tell you." She seemed really adamant about it so he didn't want to push her. She leaned her head against his arm and he enjoyed the simple contact as she refused to let him go.

"I thought you were mad at me today," he confessed suddenly. "After the fight this morning."

_"Mais non!"_ She said, gripping his t-shirt tighter. "I was sad," she tried to explain.

"Why?"

_"C'était_ _ma faute,"_ she said. "You fight because of me."

"Well, I was trying to protect you," he admitted, a deep blush warming up his face. "I didn't want you to get attacked like that."

She stopped walking, and since she was currently attached to his arm, he slowed down to a halt as well. The look in her eyes was so intense it was scary, but he couldn't look away. Her eyes hypnotized him in a way that he couldn't understand and he stood there like a fool as she reached up onto her tiptoes and placed a soft, sweet kiss on his cheek. His heart clenched tightly in his chest as he stared at the tears gathering in her eyes.

_"Merci bien, Feen._" She leaned into his embrace once more and this time he didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around her. "When I learn 'ze words, I tell you _mes secrets._"

"Rachel. . ." he said, holding onto her tightly as his heart pounded in his chest.

"I promise," she said breaking from their embrace and meeting his eyes once more. The urge to lean over and kiss her was almost too strong to ignore as her soft pink lips beckoned to him, pulling his face down almost to her level. She gazed up at him and their bodies unconsciously moved closer as she licked her lips in anticipation.

A shrill yet familiar voice suddenly rang in his ear as he noticed Kurt and Blaine running up to them and screaming at the top of their lungs. Finn backed away from Rachel quickly, right before Kurt pulled her in for a tight and smothering hug.

"Oh God, I haven't been this scared since the DVR forgot to record Bette Midler's HBO special." He spoke to her quickly in French while Blaine and Finn started to lead the group out of the mall. Kurt kept shooting Finn these weird looks that he didn't understand as he was conversing with Rachel and Finn took it upon himself to drive them all home, dropping off Blaine before returning to his parents house.

No one was home when they entered the house and Finn watched as Rachel immediately went into the kitchen to start making dinner. He wanted to help her, or at least keep her company, any excuse to be near her or spend time with her, but Kurt quickly pulled him upstairs and shut his bedroom door behind him as he squared off against his brother.

"What's up?" Finn asked, not liking the way his brother was glaring at him from across the room.

"What's up? _What's up? _A lot of things are up right now, Finn. First, how about you explain that fight to me this morning, huh? You got my boyfriend in trouble because of that fight." Finn leveled Kurt with a single look.

"Did you honestly expect me to just stand back and allow her to get slushied?"

"We go through it every day!"

"Yeah, so? She didn't deserve it!" Kurt's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"You really _do_ have a thing for her, don't you? I saw the way you two were looking at each other all day." He threw his hands in the air, frustrated that no one believed him.

"No!" Kurt did not seem convinced as he continued his rant.

"Because all day long she wouldn't shut up about you. First you protected her during the fight, then you found her in the mall. Now every word that comes out of her mouth is _Feen_ this and _Feen_ that and _Feen_ is tall and _Feen_ can sing and _Feen_ is _beau_ and. . . "

"What?" Finn asked suddenly. "What was that word?" Kurt's eyes shot open when he realized what he had said. "Bow?"

_"Beau," _Kurt repeated. "It means handsome." Finn's mind was racing at light speed as his mind was fixated on Rachel. "I'm just making it worse, aren't I?"

His focus turned to his brother and Finn sighed deeply. "Look, Rachel is a great girl, but there's nothing going on between us. I swear." Kurt rolled his eyes and he continued. "She can barely speak English and I don't know a thing about her!" There was a knock on the door and Kurt opened it to reveal a smiling Rachel, staring directly at him.

"I make more _pâtisseries, Feen,"_ she said brightly, holding up a tray. _"Pour vous, mon héros Américain." _Kurt gave him a pointed look as he struggled to keep his voice steady.

"Thanks, Rachel. I'll be downstairs in a minute." She nodded once and bounced off with a smile while Kurt stared at Finn with an expression that clearly screamed 'I told you so.'

"For you, my American hero," Kurt translated with a smile. Finn suddenly felt lightheaded as he thought about the meaning behind her words. Did she really think about him that way? "Will the wedding be here in Lima or will we have to travel all the way to Paris for the nuptials?" Finn tried in vain to ignore his taunting as he followed Rachel and the delicious baked goods downstairs, calling to his step-brother over his shoulder.

"Just shut up and let me enjoy my hero pastries in peace."

* * *

><p>Merci mille fois, mes amis!<p>

Don't Stop Reviewin'!


	5. English Lessons

DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. They are the property of Ryan Murphy and FOX. This is purely for fun. Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chapter Five: English Lessons<strong>

* * *

><p>"You're grounded," Burt said sternly to Finn as he sat in the kitchen shoving Rachel's pastries into his mouth with vigor. He shrugged his shoulders while licking the creamy filling off of his fingertips.<p>

"Yeah, I figured as much," he said nonchalantly as he popped another one into his mouth. Rachel was watching him eat her pastries from her position in the kitchen with a shy smile and he could barely keep his eyes off of her.

"Finn, can you please be serious about this for a moment?" His mom said, visibly upset. "We're really worried about you. First you ignore your college applications, now you're getting into fights at school?"

"I told you that the fight wasn't my fault," he said, defending himself. "They were trying to slushie Rachel."

"We know that, Finn, Coach told us but fighting is still not the way to settle your differences. You know better than that," he could see the disappointment in his step-fathers eyes as he pushed the tray of flaky, sweet pastries away and focused on his furious parents. "Even though I am proud of you for standing up for Rachel. If only Figgins would outlaw that damn slushie machine on campus."

"Does that mean I'm off the hook?" Rachel was whisting a soft tune while she stirred a big bowl full of ingredients and it kept distracting him. She kept stealing glances at him with the same knowing, mischievous smile.

"No," his mother said firmly. "This weekend you're going to use your time to your advantage and start researching different programs and classes that you can be involved in next year. It's not too late to find something, Finn."

Shrugging his shoulders, he smiled for his parent's benefit and tried to focus on them instead of the French girl in his kitchen that was slowly becoming his obsession. "I guess I can try."

"Good. Why don't you go upstairs and give yourself a head start," Burt ordered and Finn pulled himself up from the dining room table and retreated upstairs to his room. Heading right for his computer chair, he opened Facebook, turned on some music, and played video games for the rest of the night, ignoring his step-father's command.

He had the whole weekend to start planning, he might as well enjoy his time now.

* * *

><p>The rest of the week was slow and monotonous for Finn as his punishment continued. He was only allowed to leave the house for three reasons; school, glee club and the tire shop, so by Friday he was already restless for his freedom. It's not like he had much company; Kurt and Rachel were getting closer by the day, now that he was finally getting used to her, and he enjoyed taking her out and showing her all the perks that America had to offer. Finn mostly stayed holed up in his room, fixating on his many distractions so he didn't have to worry about his future plans. When he realized that he'd beaten Zelda for the third time in one week he knew that he had to find something more productive to do, but he was still procrastinating his search for future endeavors.<p>

Rachel had been acclimating well to her new American life. She prepared dinner for the family every night and always made a few special pastries that she put aside for Finn to enjoy. Kurt was helping her make friends with the other members of the glee club and they even went out to dinner together on Friday night. Finn unfortunately couldn't go, but she was practically beaming when they had returned from the movies and would not stop gushing about the amazing time she'd had. It made him happy to know that she was enjoying her time in the US, and her English was genuinely improving by the day.

Saturday was borderline torture for Finn and Blaine during their detention with Beiste. She made them wax the gymnasium floor by hand and by the time he got out around noon, his back was killing him. All he wanted to do was take some Aleve and go to sleep for the rest of the day as he entered his empty house. He walked upstairs and was about to fall onto his bed and crash, when he noticed something in his room that shouldn't have been there.

Rachel. She was in his room, standing by his desk and staring intently at the pictures in the frames, completely unaware that he was home.

"Rachel?" He asked, and she was so startled that she let out a small scream, covering her mouth as she turned to face him.

_"Feen!"_ She said as her face blushed crimson. She looked panicked and tried to immediately brush past him and leave, but he maneuvered his body so her only escape route would be blocked. Bumping right into his chest, she took a step back and looked up into his eyes. "I-I am sorry," she stuttered. "I do not belong here."

"No, it's okay, I really don't mind that you're in here," he looked around the room and nothing seemed to be out of place. "But _why are _you in here?"

"Um," she said shyly, tucking some hair behind her ear as she looked at anything but his face. "I am 'ze only one here and I am _curieuse,"_she admitted.

"Where is Kurt?" They had been practically inseparable for the past few days, so where could he be?

"He want to be with Blaine, so I say 'go'!" She said, emphasizing with a wave of her hand. "'Be with 'ze one you love.'"

"That's really nice of you, Rachel," he said genuinely. "Where's Mom and Burt?"

"Burt works and Carole is at the _marché."_

"The _marché?"_ he repeated.

_"Oui,_ she does the shopping."

"Ah," he said, realizing that he was in his bedroom with Rachel alone and without any parental supervision.

He made no effort to move from his spot, though. What Mom and Burt didn't know couldn't hurt them.

She still looked worried, like he was upset that she had been trespassing in his room, but he seriously couldn't care less. The only real problem was the clear violation of the house rules, but it's not like it had happened on purpose. "You are mad at me?" She asked, her big brown eyes filled with panic.

"No," he said, trying to reassure her as he entered his bedroom and walked over to his desk to see what she had been looking at. There were pictures of him in uniform, at football games, performing with the glee club, even an old picture of him and Quinn from sophomore year when they used to date. She stood next to him and pointed to the one of Quinn.

"Quinn is _très belle,"_ she said, a bit of sadness in her tone. He scoffed harshly as bitter memories filled his head.

"Yeah, too bad she ripped my heart out and stomped all over it." She shook her head in confusion.

"I do not understand." He took the picture and placed it in the top drawer of his desk and out of sight.

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it." He sighed deeply as the ancient pain he normally tried to ignore felt raw and fresh. "It was a long time ago."

"You love her?" She asked, her eyes wide.

"No," he said, shaking his head to make himself as clear as possible. "Not anymore."

_"Ah bon," _she said, turning to the picture of him in his football. He was leaning down on one knee with his helmet in his hand, a football tucked under his arm and a brilliant smile on his face. That was back when he'd thought that football would be his ticket out. "You play _les sports_?"

"Yeah, I played football." There was pure confusion in her gaze as she stared at him.

_"Le football?"_ She repeated, pointing at the ball in his hands. _"C'est le football américain."_

"What?" He asked, confused. The language barrier that still existed between them was really inconvenient when Kurt wasn't around.

"In France, _le football_ is different," she explained. _"Le football_ is soccer," she said, struggling with the foreign word.

"Ah, so I play American football, is that it?" She nodded her head vigorously.

_"Oui," _she replied. "But I do not know 'zis football. You play good?" She asked, still looking at his picture.

"No," he said, turning away from her and sitting down at his desk as his depression returned in full force. "I mean, I thought I did, but it wasn't good enough."

"Not good enough?" She repeated, not understanding him. He really didn't feel like spelling out all of his failures for her when he was still so ashamed of them so he shook his head and tried to change the subject.

"So what did you do all day long?" He asked as he turned on his XBox.

"I watch movies and learn English," she said, puffing out her chest in pride. "I study all day."

"Good for you," he said amicably, trying not to focus on the fact that she was still in his room and all the house rules were being ignored. "Your English has improved a lot better since you got here."

_"Vraiment?"_ she asked as she sat down on his bed. "You are _sérieux?"_

"Yeah, of course," he said as a rosy blush spread across her face. She really was one of the prettiest girls he had ever seen and she was sitting on his bed like a present just waiting to be unwrapped. She even laid down on his sheets and relaxed into his pillows, watching him as he fiddled around with his video games and logged on to XBox Live.

They stayed like that for the majority of the afternoon; Rachel watched him play video games in silence while he tried to ignore the hot French transfer student on his bed. Didn't she have studying to do, or a movie to watch? She was tempting him in the worst kind of way and he could feel her eyes staring at him throughout the entire afternoon.

"Rachel, I'm back!" He could hear his mother calling for Rachel downstairs and she shot off of the bed like the sheets had burned her. At least she realized that she had been breaking the rules, but she didn't really seem to care.

"I return," she said to him before running downstairs. He exhaled a deep sigh as he watched her bounce out of his room. There were still so many things about her that he didn't understand, that he wanted to know, but the communication barrier was really getting in the way of their friendship. Throwing his controller on his desk, he lifted himself off of his chair and plopped down onto his bed face-first, inhaling the beautiful perfume that lingered on his pillows.

Rachel's flowery scent must have lulled him into a light nap, because when he opened up his eyes the sunlight in his bedroom was already beginning to wane. A soft weight was pushing down his bed and he could feel someone shaking him as he grunted into his pillows. _"Feen!"_ A voice was calling him and he wiped the drool away from his mouth. _"Feen!" _Opening his eyes, he peeked up at the fuzzy image of Rachel hovering over his bed.

"Wassup?" He slurred, his voice heavy with sleep.

_"Ta mère, _she calls you," Rachel said, pulling him by the wrist until he finally pulled himself out of bed. He must have looked positively frightening as he dragged his sleepy body downstairs to where his mother was working in the kitchen. She took one look at his disheveled appearance and almost dropped her mixing spoon into the bowl she was stirring.

"Finn, have you been sleeping all afternoon?" She asked as he yawned widely.

"Uh, no, I was just really tired after detention." Rachel sat down at the dining room table with a newspaper, a French to English dictionary and a bright pink notebook that she was scribbling in furiously.

"Have you looked into any new programs yet?" She asked, her eyes narrowing in suspicion as she put down the bowl. When he didn't answer right away she sighed heavily and threw her hands up in the air in frustration. "Are you telling me that you wasted your entire afternoon sleeping and doing nothing when we made a deal about this weekend?" He could feel the pressure building up around him as he struggled to come up with an excuse.

"Well . . . ," he said, but was suddenly interrupted when Rachel jumped up from the table.

_"Mais non!_" She said, coming up next to Finn and placing a hand on his arm. "Feen helps me learn!" He looked down at her in confusion and she nodded her head enthusiastically.

"He did?" Carole asked.

"I did?" He repeated dumbly.

_"Oui!_ He help me today and I help him tomorrow," she suddenly pinched the skin on his arm tightly and he had to bite back a small yelp of pain as he realized what she was trying to do. She knew that he had spent the day doing nothing, but was giving him an alibi so he wouldn't get in trouble as she gave him her signature knowing smile.

"Oh yeah," he replied, rubbing the back of his neck, "I was helping her study English after detention and then I took a nap."

_"Oui," _Rachel said brightly, "and tomorrow, I help him find _futur_!"

Carole looked impressed as she continued her work in the kitchen. "Well Finn, I didn't realize that you cared so much about Rachel's education."

A faint blush stained his cheeks and Rachel kept staring at him with mischief dancing in her eyes. "Well, she came here to learn English, right? I might as well help."

"Why don't you two get some studying in now before dinner is ready?" His mom suggested as Rachel beamed at her.

_"Oui! Vas-y!"_ She said, pulling him by the wrist and pushing him into the chair next to hers at the dining room table. He didn't know how he'd gotten roped into this, and he definitely wasn't the one who should be teaching _anyone _English, but he couldn't say no to her as she held up the newspaper with a grin.

"I read, for _ma prononciation,"_she said, turning the page and reading the articles out loud to work on her speaking skills. When she came across a word that she didn't know she wrote it down in her notebook and looked it up in the dictionary. It seemed like way too much effort for Finn, but he dutifully corrected her pronunciation like he had promised.

". . .The O-ee-oh state caucus will be meeting. . . " Finn shook his head and fixed her mistake.

"O-hi-oh," he said, emphasizing the 'h' as she tried to repeat it. "Ohio."

"O-ai-o?" She said, not pronouncing the 'h' at all.

"No, you have to say the 'h', you never do when you talk." She huffed indignantly and narrowed her eyes at him.

"'Zis sound does not exist _en français!_" She said, crossing her arms.

"Well it does in English, so you have to try," he said, trying to give her encouragement. His mom called to them from the kitchen and they both turned to face her.

"I'm running upstairs to take a shower, the timer for dinner is set. Just turn off the oven when it goes off," with a smile, she went upstairs and they returned to their lesson. He took her notebook from her and scribbled down his name in his messy scrawl.

"See, my name is Finn Hudson," he said, underlining the H. There was confusion in her eyes as she looked up at him.

"But, 'zis is _la famille Uh-mell!_" He shook his head.

"My mom married Kurt's dad last year," he explained. _"My _last name is Hudson."

"Ud-son," she repeated. "Feen Ud-son." He couldn't help but laugh. He thought the way she pronounced his name was adorable, but she had to learn the right way or else they were just wasting their time.

"Finn."

_"Feen."_

"Finn," he repeated, more slowly.

"_Feen_," she said, and he noticed how her mouth stretched out widely as she tried to say his name. He shook his head and leaned closer to her, picking up his hand and placing the back of it against her cheek softly, dragging it lightly against her skin.

"Relax your cheeks," he whispered, their faces getting closer and closer as they made eye contact. "Look at my lips when I say it," he ordered, and he saw her eyes flicker down to his mouth. "Finn."

"Finn," she repeated, her eyes wide when she realized that she had said it correctly. He smiled at the sound of his name on her lips. There was still the slightest accent, but it was almost imperceptible.

"Hudson," he said next, trying to tackle the harder word. His hand moved to cup her cheek and he brushed his thumb gently over her lower lip as it trembled. "Just exhale a little heavier."

"H-Hudson," she repeated, her voice shaky. "Finn Hudson." His name sounded heavenly on her lips, especially with the light lingering accent. Their faces were mere inches apart as his fingertips stroked her silky skin. Her eyes closed and his body moved of its own volition as he closed the distance between them, their lips meeting in a tender caress as his heart began to race.

She gasped lightly as his lips pressed firmly against hers and his hand was still stroking her face as she wrapped her arms around his neck. The kiss was full of yearning as their lips parted momentarily, and he leaned in for another when a loud beeping filled the space around them and snapped them out of their reverie.

"'Ze food," Rachel jumped up from her seat and went into the kitchen to shut off the oven while Finn's head was spinning from their kiss. His heart was pounding harder than a drum when she came back to the table and there was a bright flush to her cheeks. All he wanted to do was lean over and kiss her again, but he knew how wrong it was. If they were to get caught then Finn would get kicked out and then he would never be able to see her again.

Her smile was shy as she peeked at him through her hooded eyelids. "We kiss more?" She asked innocently.

"No," he said, going against every urge in his body that was screaming at him to take her into his arms and kiss her senseless. "We can't."

_"Mais pourquoi?"_ She asked, her lower lip turning out in a pout.

"Because it's against the rules," he tried to explain. "If we got caught, Burt would send me away."

_"Quoi?"_ She gasped, placing a hand over her mouth as he nodded his head.

"He would make me leave the house. I wouldn't be able to see you again, he's done it before." Shaking her head, she gazed at him with sad eyes.

"He is scary," she admitted quietly.

"But that's why we gotta follow the rules, Rachel. So we can still hang out and talk like this." He reached over and brushed his hand over hers, squeezing it lightly. "Do you understand?"

_"Oui," _she agreed, nodding her head vigorously. He could hear his mother coming back downstairs so he pulled his hand away from Rachel as she picked up the newspaper and started reading again. She kept peeking up at him while they were under his mother's watchful eye and Kurt returned home with Blaine in tow so they could all eat dinner together.

"Hey, what are you two kids doing over here?" Kurt teased while Rachel held up her notebook, talking quickly in French to Kurt as his eyebrows raised in shock.

"You're letting Finn teach you English?" He asked, incredulous. "I'm surprised you're not speaking gibberish by now."

_"Mais non!,_" she said boldly. "Finn is _très intelligent."_ Kurt and Blaine looked at her like she had three heads while Finn tried to contain his joy. No one ever thought that he was smart and her praise made him feel good about himself for the first time in a long time.

It was a full house by the time Burt came home from a long day at the shop and the family ate dinner together in peace while Finn tried in vain to keep his eyes off of the girl who had hypnotized him so deeply. Now that they had shared that forbidden kiss his feelings for her had solidified into something completely new and slightly terrifying. Everything about her pulled him in; her smile, her accent, the little white beret that she wore everywhere. They sat next to each other at dinner and every time she brushed up against him his heart started to race. He was lucky that Kurt and Blaine were monopolizing everyone's attention as they sat through dinner blushing and stealing looks at one another. Their fingers intertwined under the table for the slightest of moments and it left his skin tingling from the contact.

The four friends decided to watch movies together that night so Finn didn't have to be lonely, and in the darkness of the living room no one was even aware of Finn and Rachel's proximity as she placed her head on his shoulder, leaning up against him.

"Merci, Finn Hudson," she whispered to him as the movie began. He looked down at her smiling face with a frown.

"For what?" He asked and she shook her head with a smile.

"I tell you soon," she said, leaning up to place a quick kiss on his cheek before resting her head against him once more and shifting focus back towards the movie. "I learn more and more every day."

* * *

><p>Merci mile fois, mes amis!<p>

Don't stop reviewin'!


	6. Le Futur Proche

DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. They are the property of Ryan Murphy and FOX. This is purely for fun. Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chapter Six: Le Futur Proche<strong>

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><p>He thought he was still dreaming when he opened his eyes the next morning; the sunlight trickled into his bedroom through his curtains, but it was the soft kind of light that signaled the early morning. His bed was warm and comfortable as he curled over in his sheets, wrapping them round himself tighter to keep out the early morning chill. All he wanted to do was fall back to sleep and enjoy the bliss of his Sunday morning, but there was something wrong with his sheets. He kept pulling them, but they wouldn't move, like some weight was on it. Flipping over, he wiped the gunk out of his eyes and leaned over to check the time when his hand came in contact with something warm and firm.<p>

_"Bonjour, _Finn," a soft, feminine voice cooed to him as his eyes became adjusted to the light.

"Rachel?" He said, his voice scratchy as he pulled the sheets around him tighter. She was laying on top of his comforter with her head propped up on her fist and a beaming smile on her face. She was wearing a simple pink sweater and a short gray skirt without tights, her creamy legs glowing in the morning light. He instantly panicked; he was wearing only his boxer shorts with nothing else and since it was the morning. . .he had reason to be nervous. He scooted over as far as he could go without falling off the bed. "W-What are you doing in here?"

"Shh," she said sweetly, pointing to the closed door. "I break 'ze rules."

"I can see that," he said, her presence like an instant shot of caffeine as he sat up in bed, keeping the sheets wrapped around him tightly. He didn't like anyone seeing him without a shirt on. "But why?"

"I keep _ma promise,"_ she said, picking herself up off of his pillows and tucking her legs underneath her as she sat on his bed. "I help you find _futur _today."

"Ugh," he groaned, falling back onto his bed with a thud. Here he was thinking that his deepest, most secret fantasies were about to come true when all she wanted to do was work. He picked up a pillow and placed it over his head in frustration. "We'll do it later, Rachel," he said, annoyed. He didn't want to deal with his problems first thing in the morning. "Let me sleep some more."

_"Mais, non!" _She said, leaning over and shaking him. "We work now." He ripped the pillow off of his head and glared at her. She was adorable and smart and a secret sex kitten out to destroy him, but she could really be annoying when she wanted to.

"Rachel, it's Sunday and it's earlier than I normally wake up for school. We can do this later." He flipped his body over so his back was facing her and he felt her get up off of the bed. His momentary victory was short-lived, however, when she walked around to the other side of his mattress, sinking down to her haunches so they were at eye level.

"I lie for you!" She said sternly, her voice getting louder with every word. He quickly shushed her, panicked that they would wake someone up and get caught. "I lie to _ma mère américaine _for you!" There was a fire in her eyes that he had ever seen before as she held him in her gaze. "You do nothing but play games, eat and sleep. Today we work." He sat up in bed, furious, his sheets pulling down revealing his naked torso to her as her eyes grew wide.

"I'm tired of this shit," he said bitterly as he tried to keep his voice down. "I get it from my teachers, I get it from my parents, I don't need it from you, too."

"You are like _bébé,"_ she said, crossing her arms over her chest as she stood up to her full height. "You ignore what you do not like. What you do not want to do."

"I'm not a baby!" He pouted, sounding suspiciously like one. "I just don't know what I can do! I'm not good enough for college, what else is there?"

_"Eh bon,"_ she said nonchalantly, turning around and walking towards his door as a sinking sense of failure seeped into his bones. The glare she shot him before leaving was severe; the look of disappointment in her eyes filling him with a kind of shame that he'd never felt before. "You do not want to try, I do not help." She opened his door and walked out, closing it behind her softly so no one would ever be aware of their early morning meeting.

He fell back onto his pillows with a grunt and tried to close his eyes and block out his conversation with Rachel from his head. All he wanted to do was go to sleep and forget all about it but her voice was still ringing in his brain; the disappointment in her tone making him feel worse than any conversation with his parents or Miss Pillsbury ever could. It distracted him so badly that he couldn't go back to sleep and with a deep sigh he pulled back his sheets, dragged his body out of bed, and got dressed.

He was downstairs within minutes, still feeling groggy but wanting to apologize to Rachel. He was being a jackass, he knew it, but his future was something that he just wasn't ready to deal with yet. There was something about her though; something that really made him want to prove himself to her. He wanted to show her that he was more than a lazy ex-jock with an avoidance complex. She obviously wanted to help him, so he might as well accept it with a little more grace.

He found her sitting at the dining room table with her notebook, dictionary and the Sunday paper open to the entertainment section. She looked up at him darkly for a moment and said nothing while she returned to her studies. The guilt was gnawing away at him as he approached the table. Just last night they had kissed here, the memory of it making goosebumps arise on his skin. Would she kiss him again now, after he had thrown her kind gesture right back in her face so rudely?

Probably not.

"Hey," he said softly, sitting down at the table next to her and waiting for a response. She said nothing. "I'm sorry about before, I shouldn't have snapped at you like that."

Turning the page of the newspaper, she made no effort to make eye contact with him or acknowledge him at all as she continued to read and scribble.

He let out a huge sigh as he let his head fall forward into his hands. "I just feel so lost, you know?" He didn't even know if she could understand him but he needed to get this issue off of his chest. "Everyone knows what they want to do next year. Hell, everyone knows what they want to do for the rest of their _lives,_ but I just don't have that luxury. I can't even figure out what I want to do _today _and every time I talk to someone it always comes back to my future plans and I hate it. I just want to forget all about it, but then I'd just be stuck here forever and to me that's always been a fate worse than death." He lifted his head up and he had her full attention now. "So I don't want to stay in Lima, but I can't figure out what else I can do that will get me out of this fucking place." Admitting it out loud for the first time actually felt good; it was like lifting some of the burden off of his shoulders so he didn't have to deal with it all by himself.

With his confession still hanging in the air, he lifted himself from his seat and went into the kitchen to make himself some breakfast. He didn't know if Rachel was still willing to help him; hell, he didn't even know if she even understood everything he was saying, but at least he'd been able to apologize. He only hoped that she would accept it as he returned to the table with a bowl of cereal. Rachel was waiting for him patiently, pushing her study materials to the side so all of her focus was on him.

"You need _passion,"_ she said solemnly, staring at him from across the table as he shoved cereal into his mouth.

"Passion?" He repeated with ample amounts of food in his mouth.

_"Oui," _she nodded. "Some'zing you love to do."

He shrugged his shoulders with a sigh. "I'm not good enough to do any of the things that make me happy."

"Not good enough," she said, throwing her hands in the air. "Not good enough, 'zis is 'ze only thing you say!" Her eyes narrowed as she glared at him. "You must work for 'ze things you love! You do not try."

"Like you?" he asked, pointing to the notebook. "Is that why you're here, learning about America and perfecting your English? Because you want your future to be here?" She frowned at him and shook her head.

_"Pas de distractions!_ We talk about you!" Her anger was palpable as she pointed at him. "I know _mon futur_. I work hard for _mon futur."_

"I know," he said, trying to ease some of the tension out of their conversation. "I can see how much you want this, and your English _really_ is getting better," he dragged a hand over his face in exhaustion. "I wish I had something that I cared about that much."

"You find one," she said adamantly, "Then you work _beaucoup."_

"But what if I don't want to?" He said, voicing his fears out loud. "What if I can't find anything that I love? What if I'm stuck here forever doing something I hate?" She leaned over the table, reaching for his hand and taking it in hers.

_"Je regrette, _Finn. I do not know 'ze answers," her smile was soft, sad, yet supportive.

"I wish you did," he admitted. Their fingers entwined and he kissed the back of her hand softly. "I'm sorry for fighting with you. If you still want to help me, I think I'm ready to start looking at different options."

She closed the notebook in front of her with a smile as they held hands softly. _"D'accord,_" she said sweetly. _"Vas-y."_

* * *

><p>"You play 'ze drums, <em>n'est-ce pas?"<em> She asked, looking over some brochures that Miss Pillsbury had sent to his house. She held one of them up for him to browse and he could see a picture of a full orchestra with a conductor at the stand. He took it out of her hands and flipped it over to see the University of Akron label on the return address. Sure, it wasn't Ohio State like he had dreamed of all his life, but apparently UA had a really great music program and a whole concentration in percussion instruments.

"Yeah, I never thought I could make a career out of it though," he said, narrowing his eyes as he read all the fine print. "It's worth a shot."

_"Super!" _She said, straightening out the piles of brochures they had made on the table. One pile was reserved for programs that interested Finn and the other was the discard pile. The former pile was still quite small in comparison, but they were still making progress as the other members of the family finally started to wake up.

"What's going on down here?" Burt asked groggily as he descended the stairs. He looked shocked when he spotted Finn and Rachel at the table surrounded by pamphlets. "Finn, what are you doing up so early?"

"We're looking at college programs," he said dutifully, lifting up the one for UA with a tentative smile. "If it's not too late, I can still send in an audition video for the percussion program."

Burt's mouth dropped open from his surprise and he looked from Rachel, over to Finn, then back to Rachel again. "You got him to do this?" He asked her in awe as she nodded her head.

_"Mais oui!"_ She said brightly. "He needs _la motivation!"_

"You can say that again," he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck as he made his way into the kitchen. "Hey Rachel, do you think you can make more of those cream-filled pastry puffs today? Finn ate the rest of them last night."

_"Bien sur!_ 'Zey will be _la dessert _tonight." She looked through the UA pamphlet that Finn passed her and browsed through it more carefully.

"Finn, can I talk to you in the kitchen, buddy?" Burt called from the kitchen as he heaved himself from the table with a sigh. He joined his stepfather in the kitchen, waiting for him to yell about something, but was shocked when his step-father gave him a knowing smile.

"What is it?" He asked, shuffling from foot to foot. Could he tell that the two of them had kissed the night before? Did their secret early morning meeting wake him up somehow?

"I just wanted to tell you how proud I am of you. Your mom and I were really starting to worry about you, but you seem to be pulling it together."

"I'm trying," he said, feeling guilty that he really wasn't trying at all. If Rachel hadn't literally dragged him out of his sheets then he would probably still be sleeping and procrastinating. "Rachel's been helping me out, too."

"Yeah, she's a great girl," he said, his eyes narrowing. "That's the other thing I wanted to talk to you about."

Uh-oh. Here comes the explosion.

"What is it?" Finn asked nervously.

"I just want to make sure that things between you and Rachel are friendly," Burt said.

"They are," he said, only slightly lying.

"And that they stay that way," Burt added.

"They will!" He replied, trying to calm his racing heart at the image of her creamy legs spread across his bedsheets.

Burt clapped a hand on his shoulder and looked Finn right in the eye, intimidating the hell out of him. "Good. I trust you with her, Finn. I trust you guys so much that I'm taking your mother out this afternoon for some quality time together. Don't make me regret it." Finn nodded his head on reflex, still too intimidated to do anything else.

"Yes, sir," he said dutifully as Burt poured himself a cup of coffee.

"I'm glad we understand one another, son. Go get back to work." Finn ducked out of the kitchen and returned to the table where Rachel was still browsing through the UA pamphlet. She shot him a blinding smile as he passed on the Kent State brochure.

"Finn, look at 'zis," she said, pointing to a bright red section at the bottom of the page. He took the paper from her hands and started to read the section labeled _Study Abroad._

"Whoa," he said, his interest piquing as he read the fine print. They had a program where students could study music in Paris for a whole semester, even up to a year. Percussion instruments were included in the program as well and the more he thought about it, the more the idea of studying music interested him. "I can actually do this," he whispered under his breath.

_"Pourquoi pas?"_ Rachel asked, shrugging her shoulders. "You like music, _n'est-ce pas?_"

"I love it," he admitted openly. "It's one of the only things I've ever really loved. But I never thought I could, like, get paid for it."

_"Mais oui!"_ She insisted, shaking his arm. "Study _la musique_ and you will be happy!" He looked up at her blinding smile and he felt his lips stretch up into one as well. She had this way of simplifying his problems until they didn't matter anymore, relieving all of his tension like magic.

"Finn, you're up early," his mother said, pleasantly surprised as she came downstairs in her pajamas and slippers. Burt passed her a cup of coffee with a smile and a kiss on the cheek as he held up the UA pamphlet for her to see.

"Mom, what do you think about me studying music in Akron?" She looked so shocked that Finn was afraid she would drop the mug in her hands.

"I think that's a great idea, Finn!" She said brightly as she snapped out of her momentary stupor, her eyes shining with excitement. She walked over to the table and placed a big kiss on his cheek, right in front of Rachel, which elicited a light grunt of protest from him. "Oh honey, I'm so proud of you. We'll have to set up an appointment with Miss Pillsbury right away!" He could see the sheen of tears in her eyes and he sighed deeply.

"Mom, please don't cry," he said, embarrassed as Rachel got up from her seat and pulled Carole into a hug. Kurt chose that moment to descend the stairs and looked around at his family members in confusion.

"Alright, Finn, what did you do now?" He looked at Rachel in Carole's arms and automatically assumed the worst. "Oh God, is Rachel pregnant?"

"No!" Finn cried, his face burning from embarrassment. "I finally chose something to study next year."

"Ah, well congratulations," he said simply, entering the kitchen while Burt glared at him for the pregnant remark. Finn was afraid that Burt would cancel his plans with his mother because of that snarky statement, but he didn't say a word as Finn cleared most of his brochures off of the table so his family could sit and eat.

"Well, you know that most of the deadlines have passed already," Kurt commented as he sat at the table, sipping his coffee as he crossed his legs. "You might not be able to attend this fall."

Finn shrugged. "So, I'll take a year off. Maybe take some classes around here and earn some credits." His family stared at him like he had three heads while Rachel beamed. "What is it?" he snapped. "Why do you keep looking at me like I'm crazy?"

"We don't think you're crazy, dear," his mother cooed. "Were just excited that you're finally taking this seriously."

He shrugged his shoulders, peeking at Rachel in his periphery. "Well, it's my future, right? I have to work hard or else I won't get anywhere."

Rachel's influence had really inspired him over the course of the morning and for the first time in his life he wasn't terrified of what the future had to bring. Right now, the future he was planning sounded pretty freaking awesome. If he studied in Paris then maybe he could meet up with Rachel. She could show him all around her home and bring him to all the awesome tourist spots. He wouldn't even need a translator! He would study drums and learn new instruments and travel around the world.

Suddenly, all the hard work seemed to be worth it as his plans solidified in his mind. Even if he didn't get accepted during the Fall semester, he could always work in the shop to save money and take the year off.

Snapping out of his future fantasies, he noticed that everyone at the table was still staring at him with various expressions on their faces and he squirmed uncomfortably. His mom looked like she wanted to cry again and Rachel was staring at him with that intense look in her eyes that meant she was reading his mind. She knew that this improvement was all because of her, and she looked smug and satisfied as she continued browsing through the rest of the information that was still scattered on the table.

"I think I'm going to go practice," he said, lifting himself up from the table and retreating back upstairs. "Call me if you need me." Taking the stairs two-at-a-time, he immediately went right to his drum kit as soon as he entered his bedroom. He sat down on the stool and picked up his drumsticks for the first time in ages. Sure, he played the drums in glee club all the time, but when was the last time he'd actually practiced? He couldn't even remember, and if he wanted to play drums in college then he would have to get used to practicing all the time.

The sticks felt like extensions of his arms as he started to play; something fast and violent erupted out of him as he released the rest of his frustrations out on the drum kit. Playing the drums had always just come naturally to Finn; he'd never expected it to get him anywhere in life, but it had always been his one release. The one thing he could always rely on when life spun out of control.

Now it might be able to bring him opportunities that he had only ever dreamed of. It could be his ticket out of Lima and into the world. Paris wasn't the only city listed in the Study Abroad section; London, Rome, Edinburgh, Barcelona; he could go anywhere he wanted and study music and be free of Ohio forever.

And maybe Rachel would want to come too? It was only fair to invite her on his adventures after she had done the same thing for him. The urge to find out what her plans were only got stronger by the day, and he was hoping that her English had improved enough that she could try to explain them to him soon. The curiosity was killing him.

He lost track of time as he was practicing, throwing himself into the music and losing himself in the rhythm he was creating. Sure, he had thought about singing in college because of his experience in glee club, but playing the drums felt so much more natural. He might never be the best singer, but he could play the drums with all of his heart and soul and that's what really mattered. He idly wondered if UA had any sports teams that would accept him. He didn't want to turn his back on sports altogether.

By the time he had finished practicing it was the early afternoon. He was already exhausted from his early morning wake-up call and energetic drumming, but at least he still felt accomplished about something. He went downstairs to check up on his family and spotted Rachel in the kitchen, stirring up something in a large bowl.

"Hey," he said, grabbing her attention as she turned with a smile. "Where did everyone go?"

_"Vos parents_ are out and your brother takes _douche."_

He had to do a double take when he heard what came out of her mouth. "A what? Kurt is doing what?" He said, panicking.

_"Une douche!" _She repeated as he cringed at the mental image that entered his mind. "He takes shower." The relief washed over him like a tidal wave as he finally understood what she was saying. Damn language barrier, scaring the shit out of him. "Why you laugh? What I say?"

"Nothing," he said, a small bit of laughter escaping his lips. "Just make sure you say shower the next time." She shook her head in confusion but thankfully didn't ask for elaboration. "So what are you doing?"

"Making more _pâtisseries,"_ she said, adding sugar to the large bowl. "I make promise to Burt."

"Ah, I see," he watched as she moved fluidly throughout the kitchen, completing the recipe without any need of instructions. "You're really good at it, you know?"

_"Quoi?" _She asked, caught off guard.

"Making pastries," he replied and he could see a bit of sadness enter her gaze as she prepared the baking sheet. "I've never known anyone who can make them like you do."

_"Merci,"_ she said stiffly, turning away from him. Did he offend her or something? She was suddenly acting all weird around him and he didn't understand why.

"How did you get so good?" She turned around slowly, looking almost sad as she stared at him from across the kitchen.

_"Mes papas,_" she said. "They own _pâtisserie." _She said, clarifying. "A bakery."

"They make pastries for a living?" He asked, impressed at her natural talents. "And they taught you too?"

_"Oui,"_ she replied. _"Je le deteste."_

"Detest?" he echoed, confused. "You hate making pastries?"

_"Pas vraiment, _but. . ." she was looking for the words but couldn't hold onto them as she struggled. "I do not want 'zis life." In her eyes he could see the same desperation that had been haunting him for months reflecting in her gaze. "I do not want 'zis future."

"You don't want to be stuck working for your dads." He said, reading her mind for the very first time as some of the puzzle pieces started to come together. "You don't want to make pastries forever."

_"Oui,"_ she said, her voice choking up as a single tear fell from her eyes. "I want more," she emphasized, and he was hypnotized by the solitary teardrop sliding down her cheek.

He walked up to her slowly, closing the distance between their two bodies as he reached up and caught the tear on the tip of his finger, brushing it away. "We have the same problem, did you know that?"

_"Oui,"_ she said, holding onto the hand that was still pressed up against her cheek as she looked up into his eyes. "Kurt tells me about 'ze tire shop." They looked almost liquid from tears as he stroked the smooth skin of her face. They were so much more alike than he had ever realized it; she knew exactly how he felt, which was probably why she was pushing him so hard to do the right thing.

"You won't be stuck in your dads bakery, Rachel. And I wont be stuck here, either." She fell into his arms, hugging him so tightly he had to gasp for breath. He wrapped his arms around her and closed his eyes, reveling in the comfort they brought one another. She understood him in a way that few people ever would, and for the first time he felt like he wasn't alone in his insecurities.

"You are too good for 'ze tire shop, Finn," she said, nuzzling her head into his chest.

"And you're too good to make pastries for the rest of your life," twisting his fingers into her soft, fragrant hair, he pulled her face up so she was looking into his eyes. "You're too beautiful to be stuck making pastries for the rest of your life." She looked up at him in shock as his words sunk in.

_"Moi?"_ She asked, pointing to herself. _"Belle?"_

"Yes, very belle," he repeated, watching a small blush erupt on her face, making her skin practically glow. Every instinct in his body was screaming at him to kiss her; to pull her in just the slightest bit and break every single rule without abandon. His step-father's face was flashing in his vision, reminding him of the rules and the trust that he had instilled in Finn, but he didn't care. How could he care when Rachel was in his arms, her lips practically begging to be kissed?

He leaned in closer to her, fully prepared to break every one of his parent's rules and betray every modicum of trust that they had bestowed upon him. Her eyes fluttered shut, their bodies moving closer from pure need as he ached to kiss her again. His lips were inches away from hers and moving closer by the second.

"What's going on here?" A voice called, snapping them out of their trance. Finn turned around and spotted Kurt in his bathrobe with a fluffy towel wrapped around his hair. He was standing in the entrance to the kitchen with his hands on his hips and a deep grimace on his face. "Am I interrupting anything?"

Finn instantly panicked; Kurt knew the rules as well as Finn did, and he was pretty sure that he had witnessed the almost-kiss that had just transpired. Was he going to tell Burt on him? Why was he glaring at him like that?

"No, I'm just watching Rachel make some pastries," he said, putting ample distance between them as she returned to her chore. He could see her peeking up at him in his periphery but Kurt was still frowning and it was making him nervous.

Kurt's eyes narrowed into tiny slits of anger as Finn slowly backed out of the room. "Why don't you let me help her? I'm sure that you can find more productive things to do upstairs." He felt bad for leaving Rachel right after they had shared their intimate little moment, but he knew it was for the best. The more time he spent with Rachel the more attached he got to her, which was very inconvenient seeing as she only had seven weeks left in the country.

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea," Finn said, waving to Rachel and Kurt before retreating back to his room.

Barely a minute later, Kurt stormed upstairs and burst right through his door, looking more angry than Finn had ever seen him. "What's up, dude?"

"I'll tell you what's up!" He said, ripping the wet towel off of his head and throwing it at Finn's face. "I saw that kiss, Finn!"

"I didn't kiss her!" he said truthfully, ripping the towel off of his head. "It was a pre-kiss, but no lip action."

"Lip action or not, it shouldn't be happening!" He yelled, poking him in the arm with every syllable. "She's French, Finn, not American. You can't just kiss her; she doesn't know how relationships work in the United States and you don't know how they work in France. You're going to wind up hurting her."

"I would never," he said, and the seriousness in his tone was so severe that he almost scared himself. "I like Rachel. I care about her." Kurt shot him a dark look before heading towards the door.

"Then let her accomplish the things she came here to do and stay out of her way. If you don't leave her alone, then I'll tell dad about what I just saw and we'll see how he handles it." With a loud slam Kurt exited the room, leaving Finn by himself as he slumped down behind his drum kit with a deep sigh.

It pained him to admit it, but Kurt was right about his relationship with Rachel. She was here to accomplish her goals, to fulfill her dreams, and he was getting in the way of that by distracting her. It's not like they could date anyway, so he might as well keep his distance from her. She had helped him figure out his goals, now he had to be a friend and help her out as well.

If his step-family didn't kill him first.

* * *

><p>Merci mille fois, mes amis!<p>

Don't stop reviewin'!


	7. Culture Shock

DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. They are the property of Ryan Murphy and FOX. This is purely for fun. Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chapter Seven: Culture Shock<strong>

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><p>"Well, Finn, your transcript is all ready and your admissions essay looks pretty darn good to me. Do you have the audition video?"<p>

"Right here," he said, passing the flash drive with his audition submission on it over to Miss Pillsbury, who took it with a smile. He was flanked by a parent on each side and his mother was gripping his arm tightly as he squirmed in his seat. "Do you really think I can get in?"

"I don't see why not," Miss Pillsbury said kindly. "I know it is a bit late to be submitting applications, but the worst they could do is say no and then you can try again next semester or even next year." He shrugged, a small feeling of dread creeping up on him.

"I guess it's worth a shot," he said as his parents stood up and grabbed their coats. His mother placed a kiss on his cheek before leaving.

"We're so proud of you, Finn. We'll see you tonight; I'm making your favorite meal for dinner. Have fun at glee practice." With a final wave they left, and Finn said goodbye to Miss Pillsbury before heading to the choir room for glee rehearsal.

Part of him didn't even want to go. It had been a few days since Kurt had caught Finn and Rachel together in the kitchen and his brother hadn't said a word to him since. Sure, Burt was still blissfully unaware of their burgeoning relationship, but Finn could see the anger in Kurt's eyes every time he glared at him. His step-brother sure knew how to hold a grudge.

Things between him and Rachel weren't going so well either. He was trying to keep things friendly with her but the more distance he put between them, the more he missed spending time with her. He missed her soft accent and the flowery perfume of her skin. He missed her laughter and the way she called him _Feen_, even though her English was getting better and better by the day. Keeping things neutral was much harder than he'd imagined, but he didn't want to mess up her time in America because he couldn't control his feelings around her.

He walked into the choir room and noticed right away that Mr. Schuester was missing. Mike informed Finn that he was holding an extra help session and would be arriving shortly, so he sunk himself into the nearest chair and tried to ignore the girls and Kurt, who were all huddled in a large group, giggling and gossiping. He could see Rachel in his periphery and tried his best not to stare.

"No, Frenchie! If you want to snag an American boy, you've got to follow the rules!" He could hear Santana all the way from across the choir room and the topic of their conversation intrigued him. Rachel wanted an American boyfriend?

Why did that make him want to kick the nearest chair?

"Rules?" Rachel repeated innocently.

"Yeah, the rules. Like baseball," Brittany added. Rachel's face scrunched up in confusion as she shook her head.

"I do not know 'zis baseball." Brittany giggled loudly as she and Santana shared a wicked grin.

"Well, dating and baseball both have this little thing in common called bases," Santana explained as Finn's heart dropped into his stomach. This was a train wreck about to happen, he could feel it.

"Bases?" She repeated.

"Yeah, first base is French kissing," Brittany said as Tina and Mercedes laughed at the confused look on Rachel's face.

"Quoi? I have never heard of 'zis _French kissing_," she said it like a curse word.

"It's when you kiss someone open-mouthed, and use a lot of tongue," Santana said. Rachel turned to Kurt for clarification, but even his explanation stumped her. Finn was eavesdropping without abandon now, but he noticed that all the guys were paying close attention to their conversation as well, so he didn't like too much of a jerk.

"Here, watch us," Finn's mouth dropped open in shock as Santana pulled Brittany in for a wild, passionate kiss, pushing her lips apart and shoving her tongue into Brit's mouth. They pulled away from each other slightly, so everyone could see their tongues caressing gently. Finn shifted uncomfortably in his seat while the other boys were practically drooling. Rachel looked both intrigued and slightly intimidated.

"Ah, _d'accord,"_ Rachel coughed, peeking up and momentarily making eye contact with Finn before facing the other girls. "I see now."

"Yeah, and that's just first base," Quinn added while the girls continued to make out uninterrupted. "There's still second, third, and then you slide into home."

"Slide into home?" Rachel said, her head cocked to the side with confusion. Kurt translated Quinn's euphemisms for Rachel and she stared at her American friends like they were crazy. _"Mais pourquoi?"_ She asked. "So many rules, _c'est compliqué!_"

"Why, what's dating like in France?" Tina asked as Rachel twirled her hair, deep in thought. She shrugged her shoulders and tried to explain as Finn payed close attention to her response. Maybe he should pull out a sheet of paper and take notes.

"You like someone, you kiss, you make the sex, and if you do not feel some'zing special you stay friends." She said in one long sentence as Finn's head began to spin. Dating in France was apparently quite straightforward as everyone looked around at one another in awe.

"That would never work with us," Mercedes laughed as she nudged Kurt in the side. "Almost every single person in this club has hooked up with one another and it always turned out messy."

"Hook up?" Rachel repeated.

"It means to fool around with someone without getting attached to them," Puck interjected. "If you're interested Frenchie, I can always show you how it works." Finn had to resist the urge to smack Puckerman upside the head as Rachel blushed and stared directly at Finn.

"Who 'ooks up?" Rachel asked, still staring at Finn while he felt his face burn in embarrassment.

"I've slept with almost every guy in this club," Santana said. "Some of the girls, too."

Puck ticked them off on his fingers. "Santana, Mercedes, Quinn. I'mma call up Sugar tonight for something sweet, if you know what I mean."

"Puck and I even made a baby together and we're still not dating," Quinn added.

"Mike and Artie," Tina replied. Rachel stared at her American friends and shifted uncomfortably in her seat as she continued to peek at Finn from the corner of her eyes. The conversation was starting to get awkward for Finn as she noticed how nervous Rachel was becoming.

"Too many rules," she said, shaking her head as a slight tinge of desperation entered her eyes. "I did not know."

"What's the matter, Frenchie? Have you ever dated before in France?" Santana asked, smirking evilly. "Have you ever 'made the sex' before?"

_"Mais oui," _she said, shrugging her shoulders while Finn had to keep himself from falling out of his seat. The glee club looked at her with various looks of shock and amusement while Finn struggled to calm his racing heart. The thought of Rachel sleeping with anyone made his stomach feel like it was filled with broken glass.

"Oh really?" Kurt crooned. "Do tell."

She shook her head with a frown. "It is a boy who works with _mes papas. _I did not like him, so now we are friends."

"That's it?" Santana said rudely. "Where's the drama? Where's the scandal?"

_"En France,_ 'ze sex is _partout,"_ she explained while Puck and Sam were practically drooling over her. "It is not taboo, like in 'ze United States."

"Damn, I wish I lived in France," Puck muttered to Mike as Sam nodded in agreement. Finn stayed completely quiet during the entire exchange, his mind reeling from the influx of information he had just received about Rachel.

"So what do you think, Cream Puff?" Santana smirked at her. "Are you interested in finding a boyfriend here in the States?" All eyes were on Rachel as she became the center of attention once more, and he could see a light blush spread across her cheeks in embarrassment.

"A boy friend?" She repeated softly. "But I know many boys."

"No, no," Quinn said, shaking her head. "A boyfriend. Someone you kiss."

"Finn!" She said suddenly, pointing right at him as a beaming smile broke out on her face. "Finn is boyfriend. We kiss."

There was a beat of silence before the explosion commenced.

"You did _what?" _Kurt hollered, standing up from his seat and glaring directly at Finn with venom in his gaze. Finn put up his hands in innocence as Puck clapped him on the shoulder.

"Nice, bro. I knew you would tap that eventually."

"Ew," was Santana's response. "I've kissed Finn and that's nothing to get excited over." Rachel looked hurt as Kurt started to scream.

"I can't believe you!' Kurt roared, still glaring at Finn. "Do my father's rules mean nothing to you?"

"I didn't mean to break the rules, it kind of just happened," he shrugged, looking anywhere around the room except for Rachel and Kurt.

"Finn is my boyfriend?" Rachel asked innocently. Most of the girls shook their head while Finn just wanted to disappear.

"Not necessarily. If he doesn't ask you officially then you're still only hooking up." Tina responded while Rachel frowned. It suddenly felt stifling in the choir room and Finn was aching for an escape as Kurt continued to glare at him.

"Look at how confused she is now, Finn! I told you that this was going to happen and when Burt finds out. . ." He was about to elaborate on his threat when Rachel shot out of her seat, running up to Kurt and pulling on the sleeve of Kurt's sweater.

_"Mais non! _You cannot tell Burt!" She immediately switched to French, talking at light speed while the rest of the glee club struggled to keep up with the foreign conversation. For a while it looked like they were arguing, and it didn't stop until Mr. Schuester finally arrived at the rehearsal.

"Alright guys, let's get into positions," he looked around the room and could sense the tension in the air. Rachel and Kurt were sitting next to one another but they looked annoyed and both of them were suspiciously quiet during the entire rehearsal.

It was starting to make Finn nervous. Neither of them were ever this quiet.

The rehearsal was stressful at best. Rachel and Kurt barely said a word to anyone and the rest of the members kept shooting him weird looks throughout the rehearsal. He was terrified that Kurt was going to tell Burt and his mom about his relationship with Rachel, which was slowly deteriorating into nothing as the staunch house rules haunted him with every step he took. Maybe he should just pack his bags and stay with Puckerman for a few weeks; that would probably make everyone's life a hell of a lot easier.

By the time they walked into the house, he was pretty sure that Rachel and Kurt were never going to speak to him again. Rachel wouldn't even look him in the eye as she immediately headed upstairs.

"Kurt, man, we gotta talk." His brother turned to him with a sneer.

"I don't have anything to say to you, Finn. I'm so mad at you I could scream."

"Well could you do _something_ instead of ignore me? What did Rachel say to you?"

"She made me promise not to tell our parents about the kissing," he hissed. "If you're going to be messing around with her, you better treat her right, Finn, because that girl thinks the world of you."

"Really?" He asked, amazed.

"Really," some of the hardness in his gaze melted away. "But she's here for 6 1/2 more weeks Finn. What do you expect to do with someone who only has weeks to spare?"

"I just like spending time with her," Finn explained. "She's smart and interesting and pretty," he trailed off, his mind wandering on thoughts of Rachel. "She makes me want to be better," he admitted, much to the surprise of Kurt. "I want to be better for her."

"So you really _do _like her," Kurt said, nodding his head. "Here I thought you were trying to pull a Puckerman and get into her pants, but you're falling for her, aren't you?"

"No!" He said initially, acting on instinct. The more he thought about it, however, the harder it was to deny. "I mean, I don't know," he sighed. "Maybe," Kurt shot him a knowing look. "Alright, kind of. Yes."

"Ah, the bliss of young love. Now I know why she was so adamant on keeping it a secret. She wants to keep you around, too." Kurt didn't look as furious as he had before, but the annoyance was still written plainly on his face. "Just don't let Dad catch you. I won't tell him about the kiss because I care about you two and I want you to be happy if your intentions are pure. However, if I find out that you're playing her, or if you're stupid enough to get caught, then I can't help you."

"I get it," Finn said with a nod. "Thanks, dude."

"Just don't hurt her," Kurt begged as he headed for the stairs. "I don't want to send her back to France with a broken heart and that stupid conversation with the girls has her all riled up."

"All riled up?" Finn asked before Kurt disappeared upstairs.

"Yeah. She thinks you don't like her."

* * *

><p>He knew it was wrong; he was breaking the rules without abandon now that he had admitted the truth about his feelings for Rachel, and his feet moved of their own volition towards her bedroom, a strict no-boy zone as Kurt's comment rang in his head.<p>

He didn't care about the rules anymore. They had a lot to talk about and he wanted to be the one to approach her first. He knocked on the door and she answered it with her eyes wide; obviously expecting someone else. She began to play with her hair nervously as she stared at him in her doorway.

_"Salut," _she said lightly.

"Hi," he choked out, his palms sweating as he wiped them on his pants. "Can we talk?"

_"Bien sur,"_ she said, smiling. Her hair was wrapped in a high bun, almost hidden by her signature beret, and she was wearing a flowing red dress that hugged every curve on her body. Just being around her was making him lightheaded and they hadn't spoken properly in what felt like ages. He could feel his control snapping like taut rubber bands.

"I want to be your boyfriend," he blurted without filter, shocking himself as the request passed through his lips. "I know that dating is different here in the US, but part of the reason why there are so many rules is because emotions can get messy. We take it slow here, step by step, until we make sure that it's right." He took a deep breath, confessing more to her than he'd expected to. He wasn't finished yet. "I'm not the kind of guy who hooks up. I kissed you because I care about you, Rachel. More than any other girl I've ever met, but you're going to leave soon and I'm already afraid to lose you when we're not even dating."

"I know," she said, her eyes sad. "I feel 'ze same." She reached out and grabbed his hand, entwining her fingers in his with a light squeeze. "I am happy when I am with you."

"But no one can know," he said urgently, looking around suspiciously to make sure that they were, in fact, alone. The coast was clear as he faced her once more. "I mean, the glee club will, obviously, but if Burt finds out about us I'll be sent away."

Her grip on his hand became tighter. "I do not want 'zat to happen." He lifted their linked hands and kissed the back of hers.

"So it's up to you, Rachel," he said, his heart pounding with anticipation as he tried to appear suave. "We can do this the American way or the French way, but it has to stay a secret." Her eyes grew wide when she realized the implication of his statement. He waited for her answer with bated breath.

"We are in America, _non?" _She said, her eyebrows rising in amusement. "Your way is slow, but I like it." A blinding smile spread across her face. "Now I will have an American boyfriend."

"Secret American boyfriend," he edited with a smile.

_"Oui!" _She nodded quickly, pointing to herself. "Secret French girlfriend." She frowned suddenly and Finn caressed her cheek.

"What's wrong?"

"Kurt, he knows," there was worry in her eyes. "He will tell Burt."

"No he won't," Finn assured her. "I talked to him already. He promised to stay quiet but we can't get caught, Rachel. I don't want to lose you yet."

"Do not worry, Finn." A loud slam alerted the two secret lovebirds to the presence of an adult in the house, so Rachel quickly stepped back into her room. Instead of letting him escape unseen, she pulled him into her room and locked the door behind them, breaking the two main rules of the house in one shot.

"Rachel! What are you-," he was cut-off as she pulled his face down by the collar of his polo, pressing her lips against his and making him forget the reason why he was so shocked in the first place. He wrapped his arms around her and crushed her into his embrace, resting his hands on her slight curves and letting them trail around to her lower back. Her lips were sweet as they parted slightly, and before he knew it their tongues were caressing softy as she sighed into his mouth.

She pulled away from him, her eyes twinkling, her whole being practically glowing with happiness as she pushed him towards the door. He leaned down to steal a kiss on her cheek, making her laugh as he crossed the threshold of her room.

"What was that for?" He asked and she shrugged with a smile.

"French kiss from French girlfriend," she said playfully before slamming the door in his face.

* * *

><p>Merci mille fois, mes amis!<p>

Don't stop reviewin'!


	8. Rendez Vous

DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. They are the property of Ryan Murphy and FOX. This is purely for fun. Enjoy!

A/N: Open a window because it's about to get steamy.

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><p><strong>Chapter Eight: Rendez-Vous<strong>

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><p>He was buzzing with energy that night; the kind of kinetic energy that would not dissipate no matter what he tried to do to distract him. He wailed on the drums for hours after talking to Rachel and it did nothing to alleviate the adrenaline that was still coursing through his veins. Screaming at the top of his lungs, he found solace in the music that he created, allowing Rachel and their budding romance to be his muse for the evening. The drumming was fast-paced and exciting; just like his relationship with her.<p>

Throughout dinner he couldn't keep his eyes off of her. He was grinning like an idiot during the entire meal, stealing glances at her from across the table and hoping he went unnoticed by his family. Every time she looked up at him and caught her staring her face would be aglow with a rosy blush that made his heart race. His parents were blissfully unaware of the secret exchanges that were occurring under their noses and Kurt was completely silent during the meal. Carole assumed that his good mood was a reflection of her superior cooking skills since he wolfed down about three plates of her fried chicken before the meal was done.

Rachel decided to spend the evening studying in the dining room, so Finn chose to watch TV downstairs with his family that night so he could keep an eye on his girlfriend. Just the memory of their kiss ignited something powerful inside of him, and he felt like he could conquer the world every time they made eye contact. She gave him back the strength that he thought he had lost this past November, after all of his dreams had been flushed down the toilet.

She retired early that night; packing up her books and giving everyone in the family a kiss on the cheek before heading upstairs to bed. Her lips lingered on his skin for the shortest of seconds before she backed away with a smile and retreated to her room. He followed shortly after, the excitement of the day still fueling his vigor as he decided to play some video games to let off some steam. There was no way he was going to fall asleep when he still felt like he could run a marathon and win.

Standing in the hallway outside of his door, he turned and stared at the closed door at the far end of the hall; Rachel's bedroom. The door was closed but a sliver of light peeked out from the bottom, informing Finn that she was still awake. It would be so easy to just span the length of the hall and knock lightly on her door. Maybe he could sneak in another one of her addictive French kisses before bed?

He shook away the thought, citing it as a death wish waiting to happen. Keeping the relationship a secret was the easy part; the hard part was finding opportunities to spend time together at home where they were most vulnerable. She was only yards away from him but the distance felt like miles; the obstacles of their relationship constant roadblocks on their route to romance.

Entering his room, he left the door ajar as he turned on his monitor and checked Facebook and his email. He fooled around on the computer for a while; hearing the rest of his family retreat to their rooms for the night as his insomnia continued. When the desk clock next to his bed flashed midnight he knew he had to eventually get to bed or else he would be a zombie the next day at school.

The room was dark as he slid into his sheets, his mind still racing over Rachel and their secret relationship. Now that he didn't have to deny his feelings about her anymore they were stronger than ever, and the urge to see her was becoming too strong to ignore.

A noise startled him out of his light rest as he heard his bedroom door creeping open. He turned around to see who was entering the room and he could see the slim silhouette of a short, curvy body creeping inside. She shut the door behind her lightly and tiptoed over to his bed.

"Rachel?" He asked groggily. He pulled back the sheets and allowed her to slip into his bed, her body warm and soft as it pressed up against him.

"I can't sleep," she whispered into his embrace. The room was pitch black and the only thing he could hear was the soft sound of her voice and the pounding of his own heart. "I miss you."

"I can't sleep either," he wrapped his arms around her midriff and her pajamas were silky and smooth. He curled his fingers into the material and pulled her in for a soft, delicate kiss. The feeling was pure bliss as she sighed and reciprocated. "You shouldn't be in here, though. What if we get caught?"

"Shh," she said, silencing his worries with another kiss. "We have secret _rendez-vous_, for secret boyfriend." He cupped the side of her face softly, brushing his thumb along the curve of her jaw. Her lips parted as she gazed up at him, his eyes slowly adjusting to the lack of light until her shape became clearer to him.

This was so wrong; she shouldn't be in here, breaking the rules so openly where they could get caught. A rush of adrenaline shot through his veins as he thought about the danger they were in and he realized with a grin that it was kind of fun. His eyes were finally adjusting to the lack of light and he could see her dark hair fanning out across the pillows. He ran his fingers through it, noticing how soft it was as he leaned over and pressed his lips to hers.

Her kisses were a drug to him now, and every time he thought he had satisfied his craving for them the need became infinitely more intense. Her lips were sweet, her kisses tender and achingly soft. She sighed blissfully under his caress and he gently parted her lips apart, so drastically different from the swift and passionate kiss that they had shared before. This time they had the opportunity to appreciate the feelings that arose in them; a sensual lightheadedness taking control and making the world into a hazy bliss of emotion.

Their tongues brushing against one another, he dragged his hands from her face and down towards her waist, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her flush against him. He knew that she could feel his erection through his boxers but he didn't care. She didn't seem to mind it as she began to slowly and tortuously grind her body against him, making stars flash before his eyes.

"Rachel," he groaned into her mouth, his voice gritty and low as she nibbled on his bottom lip. Her fists curled into his t-shirt as she continued to drag her body against his. His hands reached lower and rested on the soft swell of her hips, grazing the skin of her ass as she rocked against him once more. He was dangerously close to making a fool out of himself, so he gently pushed her away, creating some space between them as she sighed.

_"Qu'est-ce que c'est?_" She questioned softly, her whispers surrounding him in the darkness.

"It's too much," he breathed heavily. "You're making me lose control." Her responding smile was bright enough to break through the dark.

"I like 'zat," she responded, her voice sultry. The hands that were currently grasping his shirt went slack and started to trail lower down his chest until they were resting at the lip of his boxers. Inhaling sharply, it felt like every nerve in his body was shooting off sparks as she started to trail her nails along the sensitive skin of his hips.

It felt like she was slowly killing him.

"Rachel," he begged, not even knowing what he was begging for. His whisper was frantic and his body ached, hard and hot and pulsing with need. "I can't hold on for much longer," he was starting to panic as his vision went blurry.

"Shh," she cooed to him, her lips meeting his once more as the burn in his body became overwhelming. _"Viens pour moi." _He dragged his hands all over her skin now, without hesitation; his touches as frantic as the need that was becoming too strong to control. He had never felt such intensity before and she was barely even touching him! Rachel had him sitting in the palm of her hand and he was completely at her mercy.

Not that he was complaining or anything.

The tenuous hold he had over his emotions were starting to slip, and he held onto her body like a lifeline as his control went spiraling off the deep end. Their lips were still attached in a blazing kiss when she grazed her hands down the front of his shorts, brushing her hands against his erection, and he pulled away from her with a stifled cry as the simple motion made him lose whatever control he had left over himself as he came in his shorts. He could see stars flashing in his vision as his body spasmed, and he held her tightly against his body as he fell from the ecstatic heights.

His breathing was heavy, harsh and ragged as he shifted his body away from her, feeling messy and awkward and dorky and foolish as she sighed lightly next to him. He was so embarrassed that he couldn't even look her in the eye; she probably thought he was a loser of epic proportions for his lack of control and he definitely needed a change of pants. She was a sultry sexy vixen sent to the US to kill him, he was sure of it.

If she thought he was a loser, she definitely didn't act like it. She leaned over until her body was draped over his chest and gazed down on him with a cherubic smile on her face aimed directly at him. He had to reach up and cup her cheek in his hand, just to make sure she was real.

"You feel good?" She asked simply, tracing her fingers across the fabric of his shirt playfully. It took him another moment before he was calm enough to answer, and he choked his response as quietly as possible.

"Yeah," he said, still trying to catch his breath. "That was. . ._wow_."

_"Formidable!"_ She squeaked lightly, laughing as she playfully kissed his nose. He was still reeling over what had just happened, so he didn't share her bright enthusiasm as the waves of pleasure still rippled through his body. She had barely even touched him and it was still the most intense sexual experience of his life.

If that's what fooling around with her felt like then he couldn't wait to have sex.

"But what about you?" He asked, looking up at her while she shook her head.

"Not tonight. I do 'zis for you." He reached for her and she obliged, meeting his lips once more in a kiss that almost rekindled the dying fire inside of him. Her hands curled around the sides of his neck, holding him close to her as a sudden wave of fatigue crashed over him.

It was way past their bedtime and that wasn't the only rule that they were currently breaking.

Breaking apart from her, he pulled the sheets away and dragged his body out of bed. He quickly put on his computer monitor to shine some form of light in the room as he hobbled over to his drawers and changed his pants. Rachel watched from the bed, amused, as she relaxed into his pillows. Her skin was glowing from the dim blue light coming from his computer screen, and the straps of her nightgown had fallen, revealing the creamy skin of her shoulders. He wished that she didn't have to leave, but if they were caught in bed together then their secret relationship would be the shortest one in existence.

"I must go," she said sadly, her voice still a whisper as he extinguished the small light once more and rejoined her on the bed. He pulled her close, kissing her on the forehead and feeling more connected to her than he'd ever felt with anyone in his life.

"But that's the best part about living with your secret girlfriend. I can see you whenever I want." She giggled lightly before lifting herself off of the bed, tiptoeing towards the door and peeking her head out to make sure that the coast was clear.

_"Au revoir, _Finn," she said simply, closing the door behind her and spanning the distance of the hall. He could hear her bedroom door shutting softly as the entire house became completely silent.

Sleep found him instantly and in his dreams Rachel was already there waiting for him.

* * *

><p>He was exhausted when he woke up late the next morning; he thought he was still asleep when he saw the time on the clock and rushed out of bed hastily to get dressed. He was already late for first period and he panicked when he remembered the math quiz that he had to take second period. Thanks to Rachel and the distractions that she provided him the night before, he never had the opportunity to study.<p>

He ran downstairs at light speed, just in time to see his mom and Burt walk towards the front door for work. They looked at Finn oddly as he descended the stairs in a rush.

"Sorry Mom, sorry Burt. I overslept," he said quickly as he tried to shove some leftover eggs into his mouth. Burt shook his head, disappointed while his mother smiled.

"No, that's okay, I'm actually glad you're here," she checked herself out in the mirror once before leaving. "We thought you had left already so we were going to drop Rachel off at school, she slept late as well."

"Oh," he choked out, trying to sound surprised. "She did?"

"Yeah, but now you can drop her off," she reached into her bag and pulled out a piece of paper, scribbling out a note and passing it to Finn. "Here, take this into school with you so you don't get in trouble." He shoved the late note into his pockets and tried to look anywhere but his mother's eyes as a gnawing sense of guilt started to eat away at him. She kissed him on the cheek once before following her husband out the door. "Have a nice day, honey!"

"Yeah, you too," he smiled at her with a wave as Rachel exited the downstairs bathroom, expecting Carole and Burt. She looked much happier once she realized that she was alone with Finn.

"Finn! You are _en retard_ as well?" She asked, giving him a knowing smile.

"Yeah," he replied playfully. "Something kept me up late last night." He reached for her but she hesitated, looking around the house like she was nervous.

_"Vos parents," _she warned, but he shrugged it off with a grin.

"They're gone. They gave me this note so we won't get in trouble for being late." She nodded softly and he suddenly got a wicked idea in his head that refused to leave. Grinning like a madman, he walked over to the window to make sure that his parents were in fact gone for the day. He saw only his truck in the driveway and closed the blinds tightly before turning to face Rachel once more.

"We should cut first period," he said, feeling spontaneous and brave. Their actions from the night before had awoken something dangerous inside of Finn and everything about Rachel was about as addictive as heroin.

She was officially his new favorite drug.

_"Quoi?"_

"Skip it, you know?" She shook her head. "We choose to not go." Her eyes shot open from shock as she shook her head quickly.

_"Mais non! _We will be in trouble!" He held up the late note that Carole had given him with a lascivious smirk.

"No we won't, we have this," he looked at the clock and he knew that second period started at 8:45. As long as they were back in school by the time his math quiz started they weren't going to get in trouble. No one would ever have to know. "Come on, Rachel. We've broken every single rule of the house," he wiggled his eyebrows playfully and her resistance started to crumble right in front of his eyes. "Why shouldn't we start breaking the rules at school, too?"

She didn't answer, instead squealing loudly and leaping into his arms as he caught her and fell backwards onto the couch. Holding her around the waist, she straddled his lap in her ridiculously short skirt, giving him full access to her lower half while she wrapped her arms around his neck and met his lips for a deep and sensual kiss. His hands were splayed across the skin of her back, trailing lower and resting on the firm curve of her ass. He squeezed it and elicited a sharp exhale of pleasure from her as she tilted her head back. Attacking the skin of her neck, he nipped and suckled at the skin while she grinded her ass further into his crotch.

This time, however, he remained in control. She had taken care of him last night and now he had to return the favor. One of his hands left the soft skin of her back and trailed forward, grasping one of her breasts in his hands and giving it a light squeeze as he flicked his thumb over the nipple. The inhale of breath was so sharp that he thought he might have hurt her, so when he pulled away from her to look in her eyes, he didn't expect to see her eyes glazed over in pleasure.

"Are you alright?" He asked softly, nipping the skin of her neck as he continued to hold her in their intimate position. She gazed down at him and the emotions that played out on her face were intense but unreadable. She shook her head and her voice was husky with need, making her accent thick and more sultry.

"I don't know. . ." she said, struggling to find the words. "'Ze feelings are too strong."

"I thought you said you've done this before?" He asked, confused. If she wasn't a virgin anymore, why would this be an issue?

"I make the sex but it never. . ." she trailed off, her eyes filling with tears. "It was not like this." A feeling of pride burst through him as he took in her flushed appearance and gasping breaths. She might not be a virgin, but she had never been properly pleasured before, and he was going to return the favor and show her exactly what she was missing.

Holding a breast in one hand and her ass in the other, he softly kneaded the skin, dragging his hands everywhere in his reach. He squeezed her chest lightly, fondling her breast as she mewled in pleasure and shifted her hips forward, creating a delicious friction that only fueled Finn's vigor.

Feeling bold, he shifted their bodies so she could lean back against the armrest of the couch. He placed her down gently, a hand still caressing her breast while her skirt started to ride up from the flurry of movement. With her head stretched back on the armrest of the couch, he hovered above her and let his hand slide up under her skirt, cupping her panties and making her eyes shoot open in ecstasy.

_"Mon Dieu,"_ she cried, her eyes rolling back in her head as he dragged his fingers down the front of her panties. Her legs opened slowly and he teased her, rubbing the fabric in soft circles as her legs opened more. He wanted to touch her, every single part of her, but they weren't ready for that yet. He wasn't ready for it yet and he wasn't even a virgin! _"Je viens," _she whispered, shutting her eyes tight as her body coiled in anticipation. With a ragged cry she seized underneath him, her legs squeezing shut around his hand as he continued to torture her with pleasure. Deep, heaving breaths were the only sound in his entire house as he sat up and gave her some space.

Her eyes were dazed and unfocused when she finally opened them, and she looked up at him with a smile that he wanted to cherish forever as she sat up and smoothed out her skirt. Her face was flushed red and her breathing was still heavy, but her smile was as bright as the morning sun that shone through his living room windows.

_Holy shit, _he said to himself as reality hit him like a ton of bricks. _I just cut school and pleasured Rachel on the living room couch._

When did he decide that he had a death wish he wanted carried out?

While he was quietly panicking about getting caught sexing up the foreign exchange student, Rachel crawled forward and pulled Finn in for a kiss that made him forget what he was worried about. Her skin was practically glowing from happiness and she gazed at him for a long time without saying a single word.

"What is it?" He finally asked after being the center of focus for far too long.

"I understand now," she said, a beatific smile radiating off of her.

"Understand what?"

"'Ze bases!" she insisted. "'Ze rules." She took a deep breath before elaborating. "It is slow, _oui,_ but it is intense. Exciting. Powerful." She reached over and cupped his cheek in her palm. "You feel everything."

"Yeah," he breathed, nodding his head in a trance as the look in her eyes had him hypnotized. "Everything." Her lips were on his for an instant, and if he hadn't taken a moment to glance at the clock then he probably would have spent the entire day kissing her and pleasing her with his hands.

Unfortunately they had already skipped first period, and if they didn't leave now then there would be no excuse that could save them from getting in trouble. With their late note tucked deep into his pocket, Finn gently broke apart the kiss and led Rachel out to his truck to get to school.

They arrived just as the bell rang, dropping the note off at the attendance office and making sure that no one was the wiser.

Now all he had to do was survive the day without his favorite new drug.

* * *

><p>Merci mille fois, mes amis!<p>

Don't stop reviewin'!


	9. Unforgettable

DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. They are the property of Ryan Murphy and FOX. This is purely for fun. Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chapter Nine: Unforgettable<strong>

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><p>"I think Rachel and I should sing a duet together for Regionals." He didn't know what had possessed him to raise his hand that afternoon during glee club, but the second the suggestion passed through his lips he had everyone's full attention. Rachel was sitting next to him with a beaming smile on her face as she looked up at him, excited. "I mean, we sound really good together and this is her only chance to be a part of the competitions. She might just help us win."<p>

"Um, excuse me?" Santana argued angrily from across the room. "Since when did we start giving away competition solos to the new girl? This is my senior year and I'll be damned if my spotlight shifts over to Frenchie here just because she can carry a tune."

"Um, carry a tune?" He said in defiance to Santana and her normal overpowering reign. "Rachel is probably the best singer in this room and she could be our secret weapon for Nationals." It was a rare occasion when Finn stood up to anyone, especially the wrath of Santana, and her eyes narrowed as silence fell over the group.

"So where do you come in, Tubs?" The Latina sneered openly. "Last time I checked you're barely able to sway in the background properly, now you want a solo?"

He could feel a hot, embarrassing blush erupt on his cheeks as the focus shifted back to him. Normally he wasn't the kind of guy who volunteered for a solo but he had his reasons for wanting to sing with Rachel.

And most of those reasons include being alone with her for practice.

"It's my senior year too," he said, trying to brush off Santana's rude comment. "Everyone in this club should have an opportunity to sing and be a part of the group."

"So this isn't about the fact that you and Rachel have been inseparable all week long?" Santana asked with an evil smirk on her face. "Or the eye fucking that we've all had to witness on a daily basis?"

"Santana," Mr. Schuester warned her about her language and ordered them both to sit. "This club is full of talented students who all want an opportunity to shine. I think it would be a great idea for Finn and Rachel to sing a solo at Regionals, and we'll be able to split up the other solos soon."

"This is BS," Santana replied, crossing her arms over her chest and shooting Rachel an evil glare. "They're probably fucking."

"And you're probably the most jealous witch I've ever heard cackle, so I would shut up if I were you," Kurt's tone held no room for argument as he interjected himself in the conversation. Santana seethed quietly for the rest of the practice while Finn shot his step-brother a look of gratitude. He was grateful that he had Kurt's support as Mr. Schuester continued with their practice.

It was only two weeks until Regionals and it was hard for Finn to come to terms with the fact that Rachel had already been living with them for a fortnight. Ever since they started seeing each other under the radar, time seemed to fly by faster and faster when all Finn wanted it to do was stop. They were running on a schedule here, a very tight schedule, and penciling in alone time with Rachel was becoming more and more difficult. At least if they had glee club rehearsal as an excuse they would be able to spend more time alone then they were now. Burt had been giving Finn more shifts than ever at the shop and every moment spent there was another moment he could be spending with Rachel.

Now at least they had an excuse to be alone. They couldn't risk their secret midnight meetings every night and people were starting to get suspicious of their relationship. So far the only person who knew the truth was Kurt, and Finn was pretty sure that Blaine knew by proxy. They decided to keep it a secret for as long as they possibly could; the fewer people who knew about it the better, and they couldn't risk Mr. Schuester finding out and telling Burt. That would be a nightmare.

So he let Santana's comment about their sex life slide and tried to focus on the rehearsal instead of the secret girlfriend at his side. They truly had been inseparable all week long but they were careful not to show too much affection towards one another. Sometimes Finn held hands with her in the hallways but they were most vulnerable during glee club and lunch, where they had the opportunities to be physical with one another but had to restrain themselves. The only thing more torturous than that were the evenings spent at home, where they had to deny all temptation under the watchful eyes of his parents.

In Finn's opinion, his solo for Regionals was one of the few opportunities to spend some genuine alone time with Rachel at school. He refused to let anyone ruin this for him, Santana be damned.

"I am happy we sing together," Rachel leaned over and whispered to him while the rest of the club paid attention to Mr Schuester's lecture. He peeked at her from the corner of his eyes and gave her a soft smile.

"Me too, babe. I can't wait to start practicing," with a lascivious wink she began to giggle, and she poked him playfully in the arm as she rested her head on his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and spotted Santana glaring at the two of them. Choosing to ignore her, he held Rachel close to him as the rehearsal continued into the early evening. They had their solos picked out and choreography drills started next week.

He was in good spirits when the rehearsal ended, despite Santana's attempts to seize control of the club. He still had his arm wrapped around Rachel's shoulders as they walked out of the choir room together, and she nuzzled into his side happily.

"I want to tell you something," she said softly, looking up at him with her face aglow.

"What's up, Rachel?"

"'Zis solo, it is one of my dreams," she admitted, her face erupting in a crimson blush.

"Really? That's great, Rachel." She looked shocked at his response.

"You do not think it is _stupide?"_

"No way! This is a big deal and you should be proud." The smile that broke out on her face was brighter than the sun.

"I always dream of the stage," she explained sadly. "But glee clubs do not exist _en France_."

"Well here's your opportunity, Rachel. You're gonna be great." He was thrilled that she was finally starting to share aspects of her life in France with him and he ached to know more about the dreams and goals that she'd been working towards.

Unfortunately, Santana chose to follow them out of the choir room and rudely cut off their conversation as she strutted past them with a sneer.

"Enjoy your time in the spotlight, Frenchie, while it lasts." She stood in front of them with her arms crossed over her chest. "The only reason why I'm not fighting this harder is because I only have to deal with you for six more weeks and then you'll be gone. I'll never have to deal with you again, and it'll be like you never even existed." Finn's heart dropped into the bottom of his stomach as her spiteful words hit home. "So enjoy my glee club," she spared a glance at Finn and smirked evilly. "Enjoy my sloppy seconds too." With a swing of her hips she turned around and sauntered away, leaving Finn and Rachel standing in the hallway by themselves with sinking spirits. He looked down at his girlriend's face and there was sadness permeating her gaze as she stared forward and watched Santana leave.

He nudged her softly in the side, holding her around the shoulders as he forced a smile for her benefit. "Don't listen to her. She's just jealous of your talent."

"_Oui_," she replied sadly not meeting his eyes. "But she is right."

"What do you mean?" She shrugged her shoulders despondently with a sigh.

"I leave soon. I am not here forever," leaning into his embrace, she turned her head towards his chest and buried herself there. "I don't want to think of it."

"Me neither," he admitted quietly. Ever since she had arrived in the states it felt like he was living out a fantasy he didn't even know he had. Now, just like the fleeting images of dreams, one day soon the fantasy would fade and she would be gone from his life forever.

But he didn't have to let go of her just yet. They still had time.

"I think we should just focus on what's important right now," she peeked up at him and sniffled lightly. "Glee club, your English practice. Six weeks is still a lot of time." She forced a smile but it didn't really reach her eyes.

_"D'accord,_ Finn," she said, her voice hollow. _"Vas-y."_

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><p>She disappeared immediately into her room when they arrived home; she said she wanted to call her fathers before they went to bed, but to Finn it looked like she wanted to be alone. He wanted to grab Santana and shake her for hurting Rachel so spitefully, and every time he tried to make her feel better in some way it never seemed to work. He had never seen her look so melancholy and he wished that there was some way to help her.<p>

He sat in the living room with his family before dinner, watching TV and trying not to think about super-gluing Santana's locker shut when his mother called to him from the kitchen.

"Finn, can you please go get Rachel for dinner?"

"Sure Mom," he said, lifting himself off of the couch. He headed upstairs and walked towards Rachel's door, where he heard her talking animatedly in French over the phone.

_"Mais non, Papa! C'est pas assez!"_ She sounded upset as she continued and he wished he knew what she was saying. _"Je veux pas rentrer! Je veux rester ici avec mes amis!"_

He didn't want to interrupt her heated conversation, but he really wanted to see her and know why she sounded so upset, so he tentatively raised his hand and knocked on her door. She opened it in a rush, looking up at him with a light sheen of tears in her eyes as she held the house phone in her hand.

"I'm sorry to bother you, Rachel, but dinner is ready." She nodded once, looking away from him as he noticed a single tear drip down her cheek.

_"Nous parlerons bientôt, Papa. Bisous." _She hung up the phone and tried to push past him to get downstairs, but he held her by the arm to keep her in place.

"Hey, what's the matter?" She refused to make eye contact with him as she tried to escape his grasp.

_"Rien,"_ she said, her voice curt. _"Laisse-moi tranquille."_

"Don't use French to try and hide from me, Rachel." She paused, looking up at him in desperation. "Please tell me what's wrong."

"I am tired," she said, and her eyes were begging him to drop it as his mother's stern voice carried up the stairs.

"The food is getting cold!" Pulling her arm from his grasp, he followed her downstairs in silence as he contemplated her mood. Had he done something wrong? Was she still upset about Santana?

Rachel practically ignored him during the entire meal, and returned to her room as soon as it was over. Their eyes never met and the rest of the family immediately picked up on her bad mood because of the lack of her normal enthusiasm. Kurt kept shooting him confused looks during the evening and all he could do was shrug his shoulders and stare at Rachel in quiet panic.

He retired to his bedroom early, wanting desperately to go check up on her and make sure that she was okay. When he entered his bedroom he had to resist shouting from the shock of seeing Rachel sitting solemnly on his bed. He quickly closed the door and locked it, even though his family was still wide awake downstairs.

"Jesus, Rachel, you scared the shit out of me." She didn't respond to him, and when he approached the bed he realized that she was crying. "What's the matter?"

"Do you have _un passeport?"_ She asked suddenly, turning to look in his eyes for the first time all night. He shook his head sadly, feeling deflated.

"No. I've never been out of the country before." She nodded sadly and stared ahead at nothing.

"Ah," she said. "Maybe you get one?" The pain in her voice broke his heart as he approached the bed and sat next to her, his heart pounding at her suggestion.

"Do you want me to get one?"

_"Oui,"_she said, and he brushed away a tear with the pad of his thumb. "You need it."

"Why?" She finally turned to face him, and the expression on her face was unreadable. She shook her head, swallowing whatever else she had wanted to say before standing up from her spot on the bed.

"Never mind. _C'est stupide."_She started to walk out of the door but he didn't want her to go yet.

"Rachel, please don't go," she stopped walking and turned to face him slowly. "You know, in the US, girlfriends are supposed to share their problems with their boyfriends, so they can be supportive, and like, beat up the people who bother them and stuff." He tried to force a smile for her. "Is there anyone you want me to beat up?"

_"Oui,"_ she said bitterly, "'Zat _salope,_ Santana. I hate her."

"Well, I can't beat her up but I get it," he agreed, taking a step towards her. "I hate her sometimes too."

"But you make 'ze sex with her," she said angrily, her eyes flashing. She had quite the temper when she was angry. "'Zat is 'ze meaning of 'sloppy seconds' non?"

"Well, yeah," he admitted. "But how did you find that out?"

"'Ze internet!" She said angrily, and turned to leave again. He quickly darted fowards and blocked her route to escape, hoping that his parents stayed unaware of the commotion upstairs.

"Rachel, having sex with Santana meant nothing to me. I was stupid and a sophomore and all I wanted to do was lose my virginity to anyone. I didn't even care who it was with, and Santana was willing to do it." Her eyes were wide as he held her captivated in is confession. "She never meant anything to me, and she will never be more than a friend. She doesn't even like guys anyway, she's a lesbian."

"But she is beautiful," Rachel pouted, bringing her hands up to her chest. "And she has very large. . ." She rested her hands over her small chest in embarrassment and he had to smile.

"Yeah, she got a boob job a couple of summers ago. They're not natural." He reached forward to tuck an errant strand of hair behind her ear as he gazed down at her earnestly. "Not like you, Rachel. Everything about you is beautiful and natural and special." He reached over and placed a soft kiss on her lips as he felt her tense body relax against his. "I care about you, Rachel, in a way that I never cared about Santana." After a few more moments she finally nodded, the stress slowly easing out of her as she collapsed into his embrace with a tight hug.

"I have _une question_," she said softly, looking up at him after breaking apart from their hug.

"What's up, babe?"

"When I go back to France," she paused, looking up at him with tears still swimming in her eyes. "Will you forget me?" His heart clenched in his chest as she waited for his response. He had to choke back a thick lump is his throat before he could say anything at all.

"Never," was his firm and absolute response. He crushed her to his chest them, wrapping his arms around her and never wanting to let go. "I'll never forget about you, Rachel. There's no way I could ever forget about you."

"Visit me in France," she said, her voice practically begging. "Please?"

"Of course," he said, making promises that he didn't even know if he could keep. At this point, he would say anything to get her to calm down and stop looking so upset, but visiting her in France was a fantasy he'd been entertaining since the day she arrived. "But we shouldn't have to worry about that now, Rachel. There's still time."

"It's not enough," she said, shaking her head. "Santana says. . ."

"Screw what Santana said," he interrupted forcefully. "The only thing that matters is us, and the time we get to spend with one another while you're still here." She shook her head in denial, and he lifted up her chin with his finger, forcing her to look up at him. "Don't let her ruin what we have. Focus on what's happening right now," he shot her a wicked grin as he closed the distance between them. "Because right now I'm going to kiss you."

He was finally able to elicit a smile from her before he pressed his lips on hers and silenced her worries. She melted into his embrace as a sudden, desperate urge coursed through him. He rested his hands on her hips while she tangled her fingers in his hair, gripping onto him like a life-line.

Holding her by the waist, he lifted her into his arms and carried her over to his bed, placing her down softly as he looked up at his bedroom door. It was still locked and the noises from downstairs bled thorugh the walls as they continued to break every rule of the house with reckless abandon.

He hovered over her, taking in the full view of her body before balancing his weight on top of her and slowly parting her legs with his. Her face was flushed and her breathing was heavy as he trailed kisses down her neck, stopping at the soft swell of her breasts. He reached for the buttons of her top and she crossed her hands over her chest once more, hiding them from his view. He gently moved them out of the way and continued to unbutton her blouse until her lacy bra was revealed. Pushing the shirt off of her shoulders, he kissed the skin of her neck again, placing hot, open-mouthed kisses along the tops of her breasts and down her cleavage. His hips involuntarily bucked against hers and a sharp intake of breath could be heard underneath him. He reached behind her back and unclasped the garment, revealing the creamy olive skin of her chest as he tossed it on the floor. He gazed at her naked torso in awe. Her breasts were small, yes, but they were perky, bouncy and one of the most beautiful sights he'd ever seen in his life.

She gazed up at him tenderly, and in her eyes he saw a deep affection that matched his own as he hovered his lips over the darkened skin of her nipple. The skin was taut and hard as he ran his tongue over the nub and she gasped in pleasure as she flew her head back into his pillows. A sharp hiss escaped her lips as she ran her fingers through his hair. Her reactions made his cock so hard it was aching, and he rolled his hips around in circles, grinding them into her body as she arched her back in retaliation.

One of her hands trailed from his head, down his neck and back to rest upon the lip of his jeans. Groaning in anticipation, she slowly stuck her hand inside his boxers and he shifted his weight so she could have better access as stars began to flash before his vision. When her small hand finally wrapped around his length he had to bite back a loud groan that threatened to escape his lips. Her hand was soft and gentle as she slowly started to pump her fist up and down his length. His assault on her sensitive breasts continued as the pressure inside of them continued to build.

While his lips stayed firmly attached to her nipples, his hands began to trail down towards her legs, and the parted fully once his hands reached the fabric of her panties. This time he gently moved the light fabric to the side and brushed his fingers up her slit, where he could feel her become hot and slick. She was slowly torturing him with her hands but he was still able to remain focused as he slid one of his digits inside of her followed by another.

She gasped so loudly that he thought his death warrant had been signed. He quickly moved his mouth from her chest to her lips as he continued to finger her, muffling her cries of pleasure and his own at the same time as they built each other up to completion.

Her movements became faster as he continued to pump his fingers inside of her, and the feeling that coursed through him was indescribable. He had never felt so close to another person, so connected. It was the thought that brought him right up to the edge as Rachel pushed him off of it, her hands softly squeezing him as he came. He curled his fingers inside of her once more and she joined him in bliss, sighing against his mouth as she pulled her hands out of his pants. He didn't even care about the mess as he slowly pulled his fingers out of her and adjusted himself, shimmying over to the side and giving her space.

She instantly curled into him, tucking her body as close as she possibly could as the pleasure still buzzed through his body. He couldn't believe that they didn't get caught as the adrenaline was slowly replaced by common sense. They had to start being more careful or else they wouldn't even have six weeks to spend with one another.

His darkest fears were coming to fruition as he heard someone coming up the stairs. Panic shot through his system like a bullet as he quickly got up from his bed, trying to put some space between him and Rachel like it would make a difference if they got caught. Her eyes were wide with panic as Kurt's voice trailed throughout the second floor.

"Rachel? Where are you? Are you sleeping already?" A loud knocking could be heard as Kurt pounded on Rachel's door. Finn quickly ran into the hallway, grabbing Kurt by the collar of his jacket and pulling him into the bedroom.

"Shut up!" He said, covering Kurt's mouth with his hand. "You're going to get us in trouble." Rachel was currently buttoning up her blouse as Finn scolded Kurt, and his brother's eyes narrowed into small slits of fury as he noticed Rachel's bra on the floor.

"You are unbelievable!" Kurt hissed when Finn removed his hand. "I can't believe you would take such an irresponsible risk! What if I were my father?"

Finn thought about his question for a few moments before answering. "Does your Dad own a shotgun?"

"Probably," he grit angrily through clenched teeth. "So I would be a little more careful if I were you."

He rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably while Kurt glared daggers at him. "Thanks for keeping this quiet, Kurt. You're a real brother."

"Yeah," he said angrily, grabbing Rachel by the hand and pulling her off the bed. "I really need to find out if my dad owns a gun now. He'll probably shoot me too if he ever finds out about this." Before he could drag Rachel out of his door, Finn pulled her in for a final kiss, full of longing and the deepest affection he had ever felt. Tonight was proof that he would do anything to make Rachel happy, even if it meant spanning an ocean just to see her. With a final wave, she was dragged out of the bedroom by his furious step-brother, who was muttering curses to himself as they left.

He tried to sleep that night, but it eluded him until he finally dragged himself out of bed and googled "how to apply for a US passport."

There was a promise he needed to keep.

* * *

><p>Merci mille fois, mes amis!<p>

Don't stop, reviewin'!


	10. Fluency

DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. They are the property of Ryan Murphy and FOX. This is purely for fun. Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chapter Ten: Fluency<strong>

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><p>"So, Rachel, have you thought of any song choices for Regionals, yet?" Mr. Schuester asked amicably during the next glee rehearsal. Finn peeked down at her from his seat, sitting in the row in front of him next to Kurt as she nodded her head enthusiastically.<p>

_"Oui!_" She said brightly, jumping up from her chair and joining Mr. Schue up front to address the rest of the group. Finn could see Santana rolling her eyes liberally from across the room. "I think we should sing a song by _ma chanteuse favorite!_" Her grin was infectious as she held up some sheet music. "_Céline Dion!_" A loud groan could be heard throughout the group as Rachel frowned.

"I should have guessed," Santana moaned under her breath.

"Is there _une problème_?" She asked, confused. "She is an international superstar! She is my idol, even though she is _Canadienne._"

"Yeah, and her songs are notoriously difficult to sing," Kurt said sympathetically. "We refer to those kinds of songs as diva songs, since only one person is usually showcased. We try and stay away from those kinds of songs for the competitions."

_"Mais non," _she insisted. "We can. . ." she struggled with finding the right words to say and Finn was watching her become visibly upset in front of the group. Her face turned crimson as a deep blush erupted over her cheeks and Finn felt bad that she couldn't get her point across. Eventually she turned to Kurt and asked him to translate.

"She says that she has a medley of Céline songs that we can split up amongst the group. She already broke down some of the songs into parts that we can all sing, and then she and Finn will take the lead solos." Kurt explained.

Mr. Schuester took the sheet music from Rachel, who still looked embarrassed and upset at her lack of communication. It was one thing to make mistakes in front of him and his family, but when she messed up in front of her friends she took it very personally. Finn wanted nothing more than to go to her and console her in some way, but he knew he couldn't as she quietly returned to her seat. Mr. Schuester looked through the sheet music, impressed, as he smiled at Rachel. "This looks great, Rachel. I think we can actually make this work. We'll talk about solos during the next rehearsal. Have a great day everyone."

With a wave and a smile he dismissed the group, and Finn stayed behind with Rachel, Kurt, and Blaine as everybody else left for the day. Santana and Brittany snickered quietly toward one another as they passed them by, catching Rachel's eye and making her even more uncomfortable as he reached out for her hand. Squeezing it softly, she finally looked up at him and he could see the emotions playing out on her face. Embarrassment, frustration, anger; her entire demeanor was sullen and sad.

"Hey, are you alright?" Now that the rest of the team was gone he was able to show some affection as he pulled her close to his side and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She sunk into his embrace, sniffling lightly as she grasped onto his shirt.

"It makes me so angry," she said, her accent as strong as her frustration. "I cannot say 'ze things I want to say."

"Rachel, you've barely been here for three weeks. You've been studying English non-stop. You'll get better."

"When?" She asked, sadness permeating her gaze. "By 'ze time I learn to speak English I will be back home in France."

"Don't say things like that," he scolded, her simple statement making his heart pound in anxiety. "When we get home I'll help you study, okay?" She nodded her head sadly and followed the boys out to the car. She was quiet during the ride home, even thought Kurt was trying his best to cheer her up.

"You know, it took me three years to get to be this fluent in French," he said from the front seat as her spirits sunk further than ever.

"Three years?" She repeated sadly.

"Dude, you're so not helping," Finn whispered angrily.

"Ah, but I was never fully immersed in the language like you are, Rachel. One day, it will just make sense to you. Like that!" He snapped his fingers as he turned down Blaine's street. "A light switch will flip on in your head and then the English will just flow a lot easier. You'll see."

She didn't look convinced as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I hope so."

When they arrived home the house was empty and Rachel went upstairs immediately to grab her books. Finn sat at the table patiently, waiting for Rachel to arrive so they could work. She spread her books across the table and grabbed the daily newspaper off of the counter-top so she could use it to study.

They worked together into the early evening. Finn would correct her pronunciation and Rachel continued to write new definitions into her pink notebook. After a while they began a new exercise where Rachel would read an article in the paper, then describe the summary to Finn using her own words.

To say that she was struggling would be a huge understatement. She looked so frustrated he thought she might cry.

"Over the weekend, in California, about four h-hu. . ."

"Hundred," Finn corrected politely.

"Four hundred protesters are arrested. . ."

_"Were _arrested."

"Were arrested," she continued with her eyes narrowed in frustration. "After breaking into. . ." she trailed off, her face scrunched up in concentration as she searched her brain for the word. "'Ze City. . ." shaking her head, she slammed her fist down on the table with a loud sigh. _"Merde!"_ She spit under her breath. _"C'est impossible."_

"No it's not, Rachel. Come on, you've been doing so well."

"Do not lie to me!" She said angrily. "I know 'ze words, I study 'ze conjugations, but when I speak it does not make sense."

"You just need more time," he said, trying to be supportive.

"I do not have time, Finn!" She caught him in her gaze and he saw desperation there. "I work so hard and nothing improves." Her voice was cracking and he saw tears gather in her eyes. He reached for her and she stood up from her seat to sit on his lap. She curled her body into his as he held her tightly, rocking her back and forth.

"Come on, let's take a break. You've been working really hard today." She nodded into his chest and slowly got up, pulling him by the hand as he followed her upstairs. Leaving the books on the kitchen table, they retreated to his room and laid on the bed together, their faces mere inches away as he placed a tender kiss on her lips in support. She reciprocated more forcefully, her kisses urgent as he felt a drop of moisture fall on his skin.

Rachel was crying.

"Hey," he cooed, cupping her cheek in his hand and brushing away the errant tears. "Please don't cry." She looked at him with desperation in her gaze and started to speak at a mile a minute. Normally when this happened she spoke in French, or a strange hybrid of French and English, but she shocked him when she opened her mouth and perfect English fell from her lips without error.

"You don't know how embarrassing it is for me," she said, her eyes watery and red. "I try so hard to speak and no one understands me." She began to sniffle as Finn watched her vent. "All I want to do is tell you how I feel about you. How I stay up at night because every second spent sleeping is another second I could be with you."

"Um, Rachel?"

"I want to tell you about my plans after school, and how badly I wish I could stay in the United States with you and your amazing family."

"Rachel."

"And most of all, I want to tell you how much I want to be with you and how special you make me feel. But I can't and it's driving me crazy."

"Um, Rachel?" He finally caught her attention as a grin spread across his face. Her words made him estatic as he replayed them over in his head. "You just did."

"What?" She said, completely unaware of what had just happened.

"You were speaking English!" He said, propping himself up on his elbow and looking down at her. "I understood everything you just said!" She was disbelieving for a moment before she realized what she had done.

"I was?" She asked, shaking her head. "I am! I'm speaking English!" She shot up in bed, her eyes dancing with excitement as she took a deep breath. "Over the weekend in California, over four hundred protesters were arrested after breaking into City Hall." Looking into Finn's eyes, he could see the happiness radiating out of every pore. She was thrilled and her excitement was infectious. "Kurt was right! 'Ze switch was flipped in my head!"

"Your accent sounds pretty awesome," he said genuinely. As she became more confident her accent softened until it was barely even there. Falling forward into his arms, she pulled him back down onto the bed in a tight hug, squeezing him fiercely as laughter bubbled out of the two of them.

"You helped me, Finn!" She peppered his face in kisses. _"Merci!"_

"I didn't do anything, Rachel. You did this yourself. You earned this." He kissed her forehead tenderly as they relaxed into the pillows. He held her there for what felt like a long time as the sunlight began to wane from his bedroom.

"Finn?" She called to him from across the pillows.

"Yes, Rachel?"

"I am ready to tell you my secrets now." That got his attention super quick as he sat up in bed, making himself comfortable while she did the same.

"Are you sure?"

_"Oui," _she said with a nod of her head. "I promised you that I would tell you when my English got better and it has." She took a deep breath and gave Finn a small smile before elaborating. "My first dream. . ."

"You have more than one?" He interrupted rudely as she narrowed her eyes at him.

_"Mais oui! _I have many dreams and they will all come true!" She said in all seriousness. Nodding, he urged her to continue. "I want to visit all 50 states."

"Seriously?" He asked as she nodded her head enthusiastically.

_"Oui! _And I will collect something from every state to prove that I have seen them all." Smiling, he nodded at her enthusiasm.

"So I guess that's where I come in?" He questioned, remembering their conversation from a few weeks ago. "You want me to come along, too?"

_"Bien sur! _We will travel together." She sounded so sure of her plans that he had to agree to them, even though he doubted that it would ever happen. It was a beautiful dream, however, and he allowed himself to fall into the fantasy for a split second before returning to the conversation.

"Well that doesn't seem so difficult," he reasoned.

"There is something else," she said, trailing off as a kind of fear entered her gaze. "I want to be a star." He was waiting for her to continue, but she seemed to be waiting for his reaction to her big news. He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.

"Is that it?"

Her eyes narrowed as she placed her hands on her hips. _"Oui!_ I want to be a famous celebrity."

"Cool," was his genuine response. This was America; everyone wanted to be a star, so why did she make it sound like her dreams were so unattainable?

"Cool?" She repeated, her good mood quickly being replaced by something dark. "Are you teasing me?"

"No," was his quick and adamant response. "I'm serious, Rachel. You're definitely talented enough to make it, I don't see what the big deal is."

She shook her head, frustrated at his answer. "You do not understand life in France."

"No, I don't," he agreed. "So why don't you explain it to me?"

She shot him a hard glare before elaborating. "How many famous French actors do you know?"

"Um?" He scanned his brain for a name but couldn't think of one. "I don't really know any French actors."

"How many French singers do you know?"

"Besides the one we're singing for glee club? None," he admitted.

"That is because it's almost impossible to become a star in the United States when you are from another country. To be able to crossover into 'ze American culture is an accomplishment I have always dreamed of." Wow, her English really was getting better by the second. "Celine Dion, Marion Cotillard, Audrey Tautou; they are my idols. They were able to break away from the French language and make a real impact on American culture."

"So that's why you want to learn English," he said, putting the pieces together in his mind. "So you can be a big star in the United States."

_"Exactement," _she said brightly. "I know I can make it in France, but being a star here is my true dream." He reached over and held her hand in his.

"That's awesome, Rachel," he said. "So what do you have to do in order to become a French actress in the US?"

She shook her head sadly. "Speak perfect English," she said bitterly. "First I have to make it big in France and then find a way to be involved in the American film industry." She sighed heavily. "No one at home thinks I can do it. 'Zey think I am a joke."

"Well you're not," he said adamantly.

"I do not have many friends in Paris," she admitted shyly. "'Zey think I am too ambitious and obsessed with America." She looked up into his eyes and her pain was almost palpable to him. "But here I have friends and people who support me." She grabbed his hand in hers. "I have you." He lifted up their entwined hands and kissed the back of hers softly.

"You're a real star, Rachel. Whether you're in France or the United States, you're going to make it big."

"Do you really believe in me that much?" She asked, her accent becoming thicker when she was upset.

"More," he urged with a squeeze of his hand. "I care about you too, you know?" A small blush spread across her cheeks as they sat on his bed together and the last bit of sun darkened into twilight. "Are those all of your secrets? Conquering America in every way possible?"

_"Oui," _she said, sounding satisfied with her confession. "You do not think they are stupid?"

"No way!" He said. "It's better than the half-assed plans I have for next year. America is your passion and you're going for it. I think it's awesome."

_"Merci bien, _Finn," she said softly as a voice called to them from downstairs.

"Finn? Kurt? Rachel? Come clean off the table for dinner, guys!" Carole's command snapped Finn back to reality as Rachel quickly exited her room. He heaved a heavy sigh before following her downstairs and helping his mother set up for dinner.

About halfway through the meal, Rachel stood up from her seat and demanded everyone's attention. She raised her glass in the air and looked around at her American family with a smile.

"I have been here for almost three weeks and I have never properly said thank you before now, for all the hospitality you have shown to me since I arrived." Carole, Burt and Kurt stared at her in awe as she executed her English to perfection.

"Rachel, when did your English get so good?" Carole asked as a light blush spread across her features.

"Finn and Kurt helped me a lot," she raised her glass in the air. "But I would like to thank everyone for their kindness. You are wonderful people and I love you all." She looked right into Finn's eyes as she spoke and he could feel his heart spasming in his chest. She raised her glass in the air and his family did the same, toasting to her success in America and the progress she'd made so far. He took a deep sip of his soda while his eyes never left her frame.

The rest of the meal was uneventful. Rachel was exhausted from speaking English all evening long, and by the time the meal was over she had used up all of her speaking skills and whispered a tired _"bonne soirée" _to the family before bed. Sure her English had been perfect for a little while, but it didn't last long before she went back to her broken way of speaking French and English as fatigue crept up on her.

However, now that they knew that it was possible for her to speak fluently, Finn had high hopes for the rest of her time in America. All she had to do was keep up the practice and she would get better in time. She had already made so much progress; he couldn't wait to see how much she would improve with more effort.

A random thought entered his mind as he listened to her speak English during dinner. She had been working so hard to try and communicate with him while he just sat around and tried to interpret her broken way of speaking. Maybe if he knew some expressions in French, it would make communication much easier between them. It couldn't be so hard, could it?

He got his answer after dinner when he cornered Kurt upstairs. He scribbled out some phrases on a sheet of paper and passed it to his brother, trying desperately to hide his embarrassment as Kurt read over the paper.

His brother looked at him like he had an extra nose on his face. "Are you kidding me right now?"

"Kurt," Finn warned with his voice low. "I'm trying to do something special for my girlfriend."

"You can barely speak English, Finn. You're never going to be able to pull this off."

"I can if you help me!" Finn said, adamant about his request. "Just write out the words the way they're supposed to be pronounced."

"Whatever you say, brother," Kurt snickered under his breath. "I would pay money to see you speak French."

"Just translate the damn words!" He said, his embarrassment getting the best of him. He had to admit that it was an ambitious endeavor, but he wanted to do this for her. Plus, he figured it would be practice for when he eventually visited her in Paris.

Before Finn left the room, however, Kurt pulled him back with a suspicious look on his face. He pointed at something on the paper and Finn smiled when he realized what he was pointing to. "What about this one?"

"Translate it," he said, shrugging his shoulders as Kurt's eyes widened from shock.

"Have you completely lost your mind?" Kurt questioned.

"Nope," he said evenly. "I'm serious, and you better not tell me the wrong phrase or else you're going to mess up everything."

Kurt shook his head as Finn walked out of the room. "This is a disaster waiting to happen. I shouldn't be helping you with this farce at all."

He turned to face his brother with a conspiring smile before retreating to his room for the night. "Well Kurt, if I'm going to tell a girl that I love her, I want to do it in a language she'll understand."

* * *

><p>Merci mille fois, mes amis!<p>

Don't stop reviewin'!


	11. Lust, Lies, and Language

DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. They are the property of Ryan Murphy and FOX. This is purely for fun. Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chapter Eleven: Lust, Lies, and Language<br>**

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><p>He was so nervous that he thought he was going to puke.<p>

He'd been practicing his French with Kurt for days; actual _days_. Days that could have been spent spending time with Rachel were spent practicing for Rachel, and he still had a sinking feeling in his gut that he was going to mess this up and make an ass out of himself. He clutched the list of expressions in his fist as some kind of a cheat sheet while he stood outside of her bedroom door like an idiot. His family was already downstairs eating breakfast and he wanted to surprise her, but now he was starting to reconsider his plan.

It was Saturday, only one week away from Regionals and the half-way mark of her stay in America. The past three weeks had felt like some surreal dream that he never wanted to wake up from, and he was looking forward to making the next five weeks the best weeks of their lives.

Because after that, she would be gone. He only had once chance and couldn't afford to mess it up.

But he didn't want to focus on that now, now that he finally felt comfortable enough with the meager French that Kurt had taught him to attempt this ridiculous stunt. Kurt had told him multiple times over the past few days that Finn sounded like he had marbles in his mouth and was basically unintelligible, and he just couldn't get a hang of the differences between spelling and pronunciation. He only hoped that she could understand him, even if he didn't even understand himself.

His heart was pounding louder than a bass drum as he raised his fist to knock on her door, and before he could prepare himself for the inevitable it had swung open, revealing Rachel in her creamy pink pajama set. It was lacy and light and hung off of her lithe frame as she looked up at him, shocked but pleasantly surprised.

He had to swallow the lump in his throat as she grinned, greeting him with a bright "Hello" as his surprise plans flew right out of the window. He was grasping his cheat sheet so tightly he thought it might rip between his fingers.

Instead of aborting the mission altogether, a soft, shy, _"Bonjour"_ fell from his lips and he hoped she wouldn't laugh at him_ too _much.

Instead, she stared at him with a funny expression of confusion on her face as they held eye contact for a moment. She wasn't laughing at him yet, so he tried again.

_"Ca va?" _He said, asking how she was. Now she really looked confused.

"Am I still sleeping?" She asked out loud. "Am I speaking English or French right now?"

Finally, the tension that racked his body started to dissipate and a soft laugh escaped his lips at her adorable confusion. "You're speaking English right now, and no, you're not sleeping." He reached forward and cupped her face in his palm. "It's _une surprise."_

Now her shy smile was a full on grin as she beamed at him. "You're speaking French?"

"I'm butchering French is more like it," he said with a shrug. "You've been working so hard trying to perfect your English and I thought I might try something to make communication a bit easier for you." He looked away from her, embarrassed at his lame attempts to learn her language. "Kurt taught me a few words. It's basically nothing."

_"Mais non!_" She insisted, grabbing his hand in hers with a tight squeeze. "It is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me!" Her eyes were shining with the sheen of tears as her voice grew thick with emotion. _"Merci, _Finn." Her bottom lip was quivering precariously and he leaned down slowly to kiss her, trapping her lips against hers and swallowing her sighs of happiness. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she crushed herself against his body in a tight hug as he slipped his cheat sheet in his back pocket.

_"De rien, _Rachel." He said, trying desperately not to mess up.

Mission Accomplished.

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><p>"So what other words do you know?" She asked with a light tease to her voice as they laid together on Finn's bed. His parents were gone for the afternoon and Kurt had Blaine in his room, so Finn didn't feel too bad about breaking the house rules on this very reckless Saturday.<p>

He tensed as he played idly with the hair that was splayed out over his chest. Her head was resting on his midriff and her arms were wrapped around his waist tightly as she used him as a human pillow. Finn didn't really seem to mind. "Not many. Kurt tried to teach me some words but he says I'm basically hopeless. I can barely speak English correctly, let alone French."

"_Feen_!" She scolded lightly, her accent thick. "How many times do I tell you? You must work for the things you want!" She sat up, looking down at him as she poked him in the chest. "Look at me! I am here three weeks, almost a month, and my English is much better but I still make the mistakes."

"Well there's no way that I can learn the entire French language in four weeks, Rachel," he teased, sitting up with her and pulling her back into his embrace. "But I can say that you're beautiful." He pulled her bangs to the side, away from her eyes as he looked down at her. _"Tu es belle,"_he cooed, trying his best to remember the pronunciation.

She shook her head, her eyes filled with wonder as they laid back down again. Their limbs were tangled together as they held onto one another. "American boys are too sweet."

He closed his eyes, reveling in their laziness and blatant dismissal of the rules. He wished that moments like this would last forever; where they didn't have to worry about the fact that in a little more than a month their secret tryst would be over. Rachel would be on another continent, ready to begin her life, and where would that leave Finn? Lonely and miserable, just like he was before Rachel had arrived in his life. Unconsciously, his grip on her tightened as the day stretched into the afternoon.

"Speak to me in French," he whispered to her, both of their eyes closed as they held onto one another.

"But you can't understand me," she argued, curling her fingers into his clothes.

"I don't care," he said simply. She giggled next to him and began to speak, her voice low, her accent wrapping around him like a caress.

_"C'est comme une rêve, et je ne veux jamais me réveiller. . ."_

"What are you saying?" He asked her softly.

"I am saying that being with you is like a dream," she said, and he finally opened his eyes to look down on her peaceful face. "And I never want to wake up."

Her wistful tone made his heart clench painfully in his chest. The words "I love you" were resting on his lips, just aching to be said but he was scared. They both knew that their relationship had an inevitable end, should he even bother telling her how he felt? Would it change anything between them or would it only cause more heartbreak?

"Me neither," he whispered, choking on his confession and pushing the idea out of his head. It was bad enough that their feelings were already so strong; the deadline of her departure was hanging over their heads like the blade of a guillotine. They had to take advantage of the time they had together, in every way possible.

He pulled her body up until their faces were at eye level, and she rested on his chest as he pulled her face down to meet his, crushing their lips together with all of the passion he could muster. His hands reached for her dress, powder blue with polka dots and ribbons around the collar, and unzipped it, letting the soft material fall off of her frame. She reached for his shirt and he pulled it off, her fingernails trailing down his chest and resting on the lip of his jeans. With a sexy smirk, she unzipped his pants as his body grew hard with need.

She shimmied out of her dress and tossed it casually onto the floor, hovering over him in nothing but a bra and panties as his breathing became shallow. Her eyes were shining with enthusiasm as she leaned over and kissed him again, her teeth nibbling his bottom lip before their lips parted and she plunged her tongue into his mouth. Her kisses were sweet and her body blazed on top of his.

He groaned loudly as she grinded her hips into his, making stars flash behind his eyes as the friction became almost unbearable. Her pupils were dilated as she stared down at him, trapping him in her sultry gaze as her hands reached lower and lower.

He looked up at her with stars in his eyes as she shimmied lower on his body, her hands on his hips as she pulled his jeans down. Freeing his erection, his body ached for her as she held onto his length and pumped her hand, his body tensing under the torturous pleasure.

"Rachel," he groaned huskily as she pumped his cock in her hands. She grinned at him as she leaned lower, stroking him once more before she lowered her lips onto the tip. He hissed in a sharp breath as her warm mouth covered him, her lips gliding over the taut skin as the sensations became overwhelming. Dragging her tongue along the length he saw stars flashing in his vision before he suddenly came, his body arching off the bed with a loud grunt as he came undone beneath her. She released him and sat up with a cherubic smile on her features as she waited for him to calm down.

The urge to confess his feelings was becoming unbearable to Finn as he came down from the dizzying heights. It didn't matter what language he said it in, he wanted to tell her how she made him feel; how she had the power to shatter him into a million pieces with her touch and put him back together again with her smile.

But he didn't say anything. The words lay dormant on his tongue. He gasped for breath and tried to regain control of his body as he sat up and reached for her. Kissing her deeply, there was a bitter taste on his tongue but neither of them really cared as swell after swell of emotion crashed over them.

He flipped their bodies over, so she was the one laying down as he towered over her. For an instant, he marveled at how tiny she really was in comparison to him. It felt like she could break underneath him as he shifted his weight and made them both comfortable. He reached his hand down between her legs and rubbed the fabric of her panties as she cooed in his arms. Her eyes were glazed over with passion as she stared up at him with her lips parted, and he hooked his thumbs around the elastic of her undergarments and removed them as she unhooked her bra.

Laying naked beneath him, she rubbed her legs together in anticipation as he soaked in the view in front of him. They were both completely nude and incredibly vulnerable, but Finn had never trusted anyone more as their bodies lay exposed. He pulled her knees apart and nestled his body between them as her eyes widened in shock.

"We. . ." she hesitated. "Make the sex now?" She asked with wide eyes as his heart began to pound. Were they really ready for this? Could he even go through with it if they were?

"I think we should wait," he whispered, his voice husky. The disappointment was clear on her face as he looked down at her. "But I still want to make you feel good." He explained. "Can I?"

_"Oui," _she urged as she lifted her hips and arched her back against him as he slid down her body, peppering kisses onto her creamy olive skin. When he reached her legs he trailed his lips along her thighs, bringing his mouth closer and closer to the slick, wet heat below him. Her fingers were twisted into his hair as he licked her slit, his tongue tasting her for the first time as she hissed in pleasure. His hands caressed the skin on her legs as he teased her with his tongue. Her sighs of pleasure filled the room with a cacophony of bliss as he slowly tortured her, bringing his fingers up to brush against the sensitive nerves of her clit as he plunged his tongue deeper into her core.

"Ah, _je viens!_" She screamed, coming undone as her body arched off of the bed. He held onto her hips, keeping her still as he finished his relentless assault with his tongue, lapping up the essence that was purely Rachel as she filled up every single one of his senses.

Her breathing was heavy as she calmed down, and Finn felt satisfied as he slid his body up next to hers, joining her on the bed as they laid down once more. A certain kind of peace enveloped the two teenagers in the kind of ignorant bliss that they wished could last forever. Finn held onto Rachel tightly as their naked bodies still prickled with pleasure.

He kissed her hair softly, gently, as their hearts regained their natural steady rhythm after a few minutes of silence. "Rachel?" He asked.

_"Oui?"_

"What does _'je viens' _mean?" He asked, trailing his fingertips along the curve of her waist. She shook her head quickly and buried it into his chest, embarrassed as she mumbled the translation. "What was that? I couldn't hear you."

"It means 'I'm coming,'" she admitted with a light blush staining her cheeks. He grinned to himself wolfishly as his ego practically doubled in size.

"I thought so," he said smugly to himself. "Are you mad at me?" He asked suddenly, the look of disappointment on her face etched into his memory.

"For what?" She asked, genuinely curious.

"That we didn't 'make the sex,'" he admitted.

_"Non," _she said, her hold on him tightening. "Because I am not ready yet."

He exhaled a breath that he didn't even know he was holding. "Okay, good." He paused and looked down at her. "I wasn't ready either."

"It must be special," she said suddenly, looking up at him with something akin to desperation in her eyes. _"Parfait. _We cannot get caught._"_

"I know, I want it to be special too." He said, getting lost in thought. "Maybe I can get us a hotel room. Like at the Marriot or something?"

She nodded her head, smiling brightly as they cuddled close together. _"Genial."_

All of a sudden, a loud bang could be heard from somewhere in the house and adrenaline shot instantly through Finn's body like a bullet. Were his parents home already? Panicking, Rachel launched herself off of the bed and ran for her clothes while Finn somehow wound up tangled in his sheets. Falling off of his bed unceremoniously, Rachel was cursing in French as she tried to zip up her dress.

_"Feen! Feen! Dépêche-toi! Merde alors!_" She rushed, getting so flustered that French was the only language she could speak. She tossed his boxers at him and they landed on his head as he tried to pick himself off of the floor and untangle his long limbs from the sheets.

"Rachel, you're not helping! Ack!" He tripped over his feet as he tried to put his boxers on and Rachel practically ran out of the bedroom, half dressed and hair completely askew. He followed her like an idiot, even though he was still practically naked, throwing his t-shirt on and running right into Kurt in the hallway.

"Watch where you're going, you oaf!" Kurt yelled as he rubbed the spot on his shoulder where Finn had careened into him. Finn pulled the shirt over his head and stared at Kurt who had never looked so disheveled. Rachel's door slammed closed as Finn heard his parents talking downstairs. "I have a crisis on my hands!"

"Well, I do too!" Finn hissed at his brother. "Rachel and I were kind of in the middle of something."

"Well, what do you think Blaine and I were doing?" He whispered furiously. "Knitting?" Kurt's vest was unbuttoned as he hastily tucked his shirt into his open pants. "He's in my room. He's not supposed to be here when Carole and Dad aren't home."

_Shit._ Both he and his brother were breaking the rules and were probably about to get caught. There was something that Finn wanted to say, however. . .

"What happened to respecting Burt's rules?" Finn teased liberally. Payback was _awesome_. "I thought I was supposed to be the bad son." Kurt narrowed his eyes at his brother as he glared at Finn.

"Just help me figure out a way not to get my boyfriend castrated. I happen to really like his man parts and I need them for future endeavors."

"Why do I have to help?" He whined, his girlfriend resting safely in her own room.

"Because I'm helping you keep your relationship with Rachel a secret! You could show me some brotherly love and support!" Groaning audibly, he knew that Kurt was right as his conscience was pushing him to do the right thing.

Desperate for a plan, he told Kurt to get Blaine and bring him into his bedroom. Kurt quickly pulled his half-dressed boyfriend into his brother's room, a bow-tie hanging loosely from his neck as his suspender straps dangled at his side. Blaine shot Finn a goofy grin before Finn went to get Rachel, who had probably locked herself away in fear of Burt's wrath.

He knocked on her door tentatively and it took a few seconds to answer. When she spotted Finn she squeaked and slammed the door.

"Rachel, you need to come into my room right now or else Kurt and Blaine are fucked." He whispered it as urgently as possible to convey the severity of the situation. Her door cracked open a bit as Burt called out to his sons from downstairs.

"Fucked?" She repeated innocently.

_"Oui,"_ he urged her in French. _"Dépêche-toi!"_ He pulled her clear out of the bedroom, dragging her down the hall and practically pushing her into his own room as Burt walked up the stairs. He leveled Finn with a single look as he faced-off against his step-father.

"Finn," Burt said evenly.

"Yes, Burt?" He replied, trying his best to remain casual and not-at-all nervous.

"Where is my son?" He asked calmly, narrowing his eyes. "And where is Rachel?"

"Um," he said, rubbing the back of his neck and trying to distract Burt so he could buy the boys some time to dress themselves. "You know, Regionals is coming up really soon. . ."

"I'm waiting for the part where you tell me where my son is. . ."

"And we all thought that a weekend practice might be good for the team. You know, since we only have a week left until the competition."

"So they're practicing with the glee club?"

"Um, yeah."

"So why aren't you there with them?"

"Well, because, the practice is here!" He lied through his teeth, opening his bedroom door to reveal Kurt, Blaine and Rachel all sitting on his bed. They smiled nervously and Finn noticed that Blaine's bowtie was still undone as Kurt checked his hair in the mirror.

"Dad! You're home early!" Kurt said brightly, trying to mask his nervousness. Burt nodded his head as he looked around the room.

"Yeah, Carole said the antiques weren't antique-y enough so we left." He looked around the room with a frown. "Where are the other members of the club?"

Rachel looked at Finn with panic in her eyes as he tried to cover their ridiculous lie. "Well, we're the soloists," blurted out Finn before he could even process what was being said. "We have the solos in one of the songs and we all needed to work on our harmonies together."

Burt looked pleased. "Kurt, you didn't tell me that you got a solo for Regionals." He approached his son with a grin and clapped him on the shoulder. "And you get to sing with Blaine, too? Pretty cool, Bud."

"Yeah," Kurt said flatly. "Awesome."

It actually wasn't awesome. Auditions for the solos had been this past week and while Finn and Rachel were singing the leads in one of their pieces, it was actually Santana who had secured the other solo for Regionals. Kurt and Blaine hadn't even come close and Santana was dead set on having her share of the spotlight during competitions. If Burt realized that they were lying to them, then they were _all_ in serious trouble.

"Well I think this calls for a celebration!" Burt said brightly as Finn's heart started to beat at it's normal pace again. "Breadsticks tonight, for the six of us. It'll be my treat for our little band of soloists." Feeing like complete and utter dirt for lying directly to his step-father, Finn's heart sunk in his chest as he made his way back downstairs. Burt had one more thing to say, though. "I can't wait to see you all up on that stage together next week. This is going to be great!"

Finn, Kurt and Blaine all were staring at one another with horror in their eyes as Burt's comment registered, and Rachel looked between them all, confused as they were left alone upstairs.

_"Qu'est-ce que c'est?"_ She asked, panicking and switching back to her native tongue. _"Il y a une problème?" _

"Yeah, Rachel, a huge problem," he responded to her softly as his heart sunk in his chest. "Either Santana Lopez is going to kill us or we're going to find out if Burt actually owns that shotgun."

* * *

><p>Merci mille fois, mes amis!<p>

Don't stop reviewin'!


	12. Regionals

DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. They are the property of Ryan Murphy and FOX. This is purely for fun. Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chapter Twelve: Regionals<strong>

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><p>"This is a nightmare," Kurt moaned from Blaine's shoulder as the four friends sat in Finn's bedroom and contemplated their choices. The atmosphere was tense as Finn tried to figure out their limited options.<p>

"No way, not even my nightmares are _this _scary," Blaine admitted. "This is a disaster just waiting to happen." Finn let his head fall forward into his hands as he sighed and rubbed his temples.

"I do not understand 'ze problem," Rachel said politely as she sat cross-legged on Finn's computer chair. He lifted up his head and tried to give her the simplest answer.

"Rachel, if we get up on stage next week and Kurt and Blaine don't have a solo, then Burt is going to know that Blaine was here without adult supervision for things _other _than glee club practice."

"Santana has the other solo, and if we can talk her into giving it to us then we might just get away with it." Blaine said.

"Yeah, but when would Santana ever give up a solo? For us no less?" Kurt shook his head sadly.

"We talk to her," Rachel suggested. "She must understand!"

"Rachel, this is Santana-freaking-Lopez. There's no way in hell that she would ever agree to help us out," Blaine explained.

"We must try!" She said emphatically, slamming her fist into her free palm as anger clouded her features. Finn went over to her and rubbed her shoulders gently, trying to ease the stress from her body.

"Don't worry, Rachel, we'll try." He looked over at his brother and Kurt's expression was doubtful. "The worst she could do is say no, right?"

* * *

><p>Oh, how wrong he'd been.<p>

"Oh shit, Britts, hold my books because I think I'mma pass out from laughing." Finn felt his face grow red from embarrassment as Santana stood in the middle of the hallway, laughing hysterically in their faces as she clutched her stomach in pain. The bright laughter bubbled out of her as Finn, Rachel, Kurt, and Blaine all stood and waited for her response.

"Are you done yet?" Kurt asked bitterly.

"I'm crying!" She howled as more laughter pealed out of her. "There are actual tears leaking from my eyes." Finn tapped his feet impatiently as Santana continued to guffaw at their expense. Rachel looked upset and he squeezed her hand at his side.

Finn was exasperated. "We're coming to you for actual help. You don't have to treat us like crap."

Her laughter stopped immediately as her eyes became hard and angry. Brows narrowing, she glared at the four of them like they were flies in her food. _"Escucha me_," she said, staring directly at Rachel. "If you think I'm just going to hand over my solo for Regionals to Tweedledum and Tweedledee over here, then _tu eres loca,_" her voice had a bitter edge to it. "I'm not the one who fucked up royally, and I don't have to clean up your messes. I'm not giving up my solo for Regionals, and there's nothing you could say that will change my mind, so don't waste your breath."

"Santana," Kurt pleaded. "I'm begging you to please reconsider. If we don't find a way to sing during Regionals then my father will kill us all for lying to him."

"Not my problem, Porcelain," she shrugged, looking over at Brittany and nodding. Before the two cheerleaders left, however, Santana turned around and gave them once last glare before strutting away. "And if you ask me again, or find a way to weasel yourself into my song, I'll release the wrath of Snixx all over this school. Y'all will be _drowning _in Snixx juice before this competition is over."

Kurt shivered visibly as she walked away, his lips pulled up in a sneer. "Like I want anything to do with her _juice," _he said distastefully.

"What is this 'Snixx juice?'" Rachel asked out loud as Blaine rolled his eyes.

"It's the wrath of Santana Lopez. You don't want to know."

"Guys, we are screwed," Finn said mournfully. "Burt is going to know that we lied to him and he'll never trust us again."

Kurt reached for Blaine's hand and squeezed it, a look of longing in his eyes. "We might as well make the most out of this week, since we're probably never going to see each other again after Regionals."

"Why don't we just say that Santana took the solo from us?" Blaine suggested as Finn and Kurt shook their heads.

"Have you _met _my father? He'll just march up to the school and demand that the solo be returned to us. Since it was never ours to begin with, he'll know that we were lying."

Finn nodded his head in agreement as Rachel stood silent at his side, lost in thought. He held onto her waist tightly as he struggled with their limited options. He was all out of ideas and was beginning to lose hope.

"I know what we will do," Rachel announced suddenly from his side, a hint of a smile on her lips as they waited for her to elaborate. "We make our duet a quartet!" She stated brightly. "Santana can get her song, and we will all sing together. _Comme une famille!_" Finn couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed; he'd been hoping to sing with Rachel by himself, but it seemed like the only option they had left.

"Rachel are you sure?" Kurt asked. "I know how much you want this solo."

She shrugged her shoulders, and Finn could see the conflict pass over her features before she smiled once more. "I want us all to be happy. You are my family, Kurt, and I want to help." Finn couldn't believe her selflessness as Kurt and Blaine pulled her out of his embrace and in for a tight hug. Finn stood around awkwardly while Kurt gave Rachel a kiss on each cheek.

_"Merci, Rachel. Merci mille fois,_" he whispered to her while Rachel nodded her head. Blaine and Kurt walked off after that, leaving Finn and Rachel by themselves in the hallway as he walked her to class.

"Rachel, I can't believe you're willing to give up our duet," he said, squeezing her hand lightly as she tried not to make eye contact with him.

"Well, we will still sing. Kurt and Blaine can have a verse and 'ze harmonies, but we will still be 'ze stars," she tried to sound nonchalant, but he could tell that she was truly upset.

"But you've been dreaming about this _your whole life_," he stressed.

_"Oui, _but Kurt and Blaine are in love. If they are caught, they cannot be together," she looked up at him with sadness in her gaze and his heart clenched in his chest. "I know how that feels. I do not want that to happen."

Wait, did she just say. . .? "Rachel. . .," they paused outside of her classroom and a fierce emotion coursed through him as he contemplated her words and her selfless sacrifice. He had never loved her more, and he was ready to tell her, hoping that she felt the same. French, English, it didn't matter the language. _"Je-"_

His impromptu confession was interrupted by the bell, and she smiled brightly before kissing him on the cheek and entering the classroom, completely oblivious of his intentions. _"A bientôt!_" With a wave she was gone, and Finn felt foolish for almost confessing his love to her in the middle of the hallways at school.

Maybe he can get them a hotel this weekend, after Regionals? Then he could confess his feelings and make their first time as special as possible.

Yeah, he thought to himself as he made his way to class. That definitely sounded like a plan.

* * *

><p>The week had passed them by in a blur of practice as Kurt and Blaine pushed themselves harder than ever to prepare themselves for their solos. Finn and Rachel had discussed the idea of a quartet with Mr. Schuester, who was hesitant at first but eventually allowed the last-minute change in the arrangement of their song. Rachel and Finn had changed the choreography to include a second couple and by Saturday they were confident and excited for their chance to sing at Regionals.<p>

Rachel was practically floating on air.

He had never seen her smile so brightly before and her energy was infectious as they all sat on the bus together during their early morning excursion to the competition. Finn was planning the surprise of the century for that night and the reservations had already been made at the Marriott for their special evening together. He was going to tell her that he loved her and possibly make the sex with her and he was so nervous that he had to sit on his shaking hands as they made their way across the state.

His nerves were at an all-time high as they waited in the green room for the competition to begin. Rachel looked so beautiful in her costume, with her makeup done up so pretty and her eyes twinkling with excitement as they got ready to go on stage. She was bouncing around with Kurt and Blaine right before they took their places and she ran up to him with a grin on her face as her makeup glittered in the lights.

_"Feen, Feen!"_ Her accent was thick as she yelled, out of breath as she approached him. "I learn a new expression!" She gazed up at him with her lovely brown eyes and all the control he had over his emotions had snapped. "Break a leg!"

_"Je t'aime," _he blurted, confessing his love for her, finally, after weeks of keeping it all to himself. He had been waiting until tonight to say it but he couldn't keep it in anymore, she had to know.

Her reaction was a simple smile; soft, serene and aimed solely at him as he turned around and got back into his position. She raced into her spot right before the curtain rose, and he joined his girlfriend on stage for a competition that they would never forget.

* * *

><p>She was quiet. <em>Too<em> quiet. So quiet that Finn was starting to get paranoid as they all waited backstage, getting ready for the awards ceremony to begin. His anxiety could not be contained; after they performed Rachel practically ran off of the stage, so fast that Finn had to do a double take as Kurt chased after her. She refused to leave the green room during the other performances and hadn't said a word to him since his confession.

It felt like rocks had plummeted into his stomach.

This was all his fault. She was mad at him, she had to be. That was the only reason why she could be acting so upset. Finn began to pace around backstage, his fists clenched as they waited for their cue to go back on and hear the results. He wanted to talk to Rachel so badly, but she wasn't even looking at him.

He knew he should have just kept his mouth shut.

Things only got worse as the day progressed. New Directions had _won_ Regionals and while the rest of the club was screaming and yelling in excitement, Rachel had burst into tears and could not be consoled by anyone. When Finn tried she only cried harder, practically gasping for breath as she closed herself off to everyone around her. Kurt even tried talking to her in French and she still refused to answer.

No one knew what to do. Burt and Carole were worried about her and Finn was about to start pulling out his hair, he was so anxious. She was miserable and it was all his fault and he never should have confessed his feelings to her.

She cried throughout the entire bus ride back to Lima. Finn didn't even sit next to her because every time he tried to talk to her, she would only get more upset. It was killing him to see her in such anguish, and it was killing him even more to know that he was the cause of it.

When they arrived back in the McKinely parking lot, the rest of the team was ready to go out and celebrate their victory at Breadsticks with an after-party at Santana's house. That was supposed to be their cover for tonight, so they could sneak out and stay at the Marriott instead.

Now he just wanted Rachel to talk to him again. He was in no mood to celebrate anything.

He was about to follow Kurt's SUV to the party when he felt a small tug on his letterman's jacket. He looked down into the watery, red, puffy eyes of Rachel and wished he could kiss away her tears.

"I want to go home," she said softly, her voice weak from crying.

"Home?" He repeated, his mind going into dark places.

_"Oui," _she said. "I have pains in my head."

"A headache?"

_"Oui," _she moaned. "I can barely speak English."

"Okay," he replied, searching for Burt and his mom in the crowd. Burt was busy talking to Mr. Schuester, who was holding their impressive trophy in his arms as he approached the adults. "Burt, I'm going to take Rachel home. She doesn't feel well."

"Are you sure, Finn?" Mr. Schue asked. "You're going to miss the party."

Finn shrugged. "Yeah, I'm sure."

Burt nodded, clapping Finn on the shoulder. "You take good care of her, son, we'll see you after the celebration. We're worried about her."

"Me too," he said genuinely before loading her into his truck and heading home. She still wasn't saying anything to him, and his anxiety only increased more now that they were alone together. Normally she was bright and exuberant when they were alone and now she could barely look him in the eye. He burned with shame as they pulled up into his driveway and they entered the house in silence.

She said nothing to him until they were locked away behind closed doors. He immediately found her in his arms, her breath heaving as she collapsed into sobs once more. Wrapping his arms around her, he let out a soft whine in desperation.

"Rachel, please, baby, talk to me. I'm so sorry I made you this upset but if you'll let me explain. . ." She cut him off with a demanding kiss, laced with tears as he reciprocated in earnest, crushing her lips to his in desperation. Her sobs were still heavy and they made her body shake.

"Do not apologize," she whispered against his lips before kissing him once more. "You are not the reason why I cry." With that her face crumpled once more into tears as he held her and waited patiently for her to continue. "I cry because today was the day my dreams came true."

"What?" He asked, not understanding her torment. "I thought that was a good thing."

"In America, I have _everything, _Finn. A chance to be on the stage, a boy who actually loves me," she trailed off, looking away from him as her throat clogged with emotion once more. "But it will not last forever. I have four weeks left and then I will be gone." His stomach felt like it was filled with shattered glass. "And everything I love will be here."

He closed his eyes, dropping his head against her forehead as her words battered down every defense he had built around his heart. The sharp sting of tears filled his eyes and he didn't even care if she saw them.

_"Je t'aime,_ Rachel," he repeated it again, needing to say it aloud once more. "I love you so damn much."

"I don't want to go home," she wailed in his embrace as the two lovers held onto one another like a life-line. "I love you too, Finn. _Je t'aime aussi."_

"I thought you were mad at me, for telling you how I felt."

"Never," she said. "I am so happy I could burst."

"I got us a hotel room for tonight," he said urgently, forcing her to look up into his eyes. "If you want to, if you think you're ready, we can go." His heart was pounding as he waited for her answer, and it felt like it was being crushed as she shook her head.

_"Non,"_ she replied as he tried to shake off his overwhelming disappointment. "I want to stay here."

"What?"

"I want us to make the sex right now," she said, pulling him towards the stairs as his brain struggled to catch up. He tripped over his own feet as they made their way upstairs.

"Are you sure about this, Rachel?" He said, once his bedroom door was closed and locked. "We don't have to do this tonight if you're not ready."

"I am ready," she said, trapping him in her gaze as they stood in his bedroom. "I want this." Reaching onto her tiptoes, she pulled his face down to meet hers and captured his lips as he wrapped his arms around her tiny frame. Moaning into her mouth, he parted her lips with his tongue and deepened the kiss even further, her tongue gliding against his as he shivered with need.

"I have protection," he whispered against her lips and she nodded.

"Good," she said, breaking away from him and reaching behind her to unzip her dress. It fell to the floor in a flurry of fabric as he reached towards his bedside dresser and grabbed a condom from the top drawer. Quickly unbuttoning his pants, he let them fall to the floor as he ripped off his t-shirt and joined her on the bed.

She was sitting on the sheets in her bra and panties, looking up at him with those deep, soulful eyes that he still swore could see right through him. Could she tell how nervous he was as he fumbled with the condom wrapper? If she did, she didn't seem to mind as he reached out for her, grabbing her body and trailing kisses over every inch of skin he could reach.

His hands traced the curves of her body and landed on her back, and he unclasped her bra with a flick of his fingers as his boxers tightened painfully. She shivered lightly as more skin was exposed, and her rosy pink nipples were hardened into nubs as she lied down underneath him.

Reaching for his boxers, he watched as she hooked her fingers around the elastic and yanked them down, freeing his erection as he readied the condom. She took it from his shaking hands and rolled it onto his length, hissing as the sensations became unbearable. He kissed her once more before reaching for her panties as well, removing the final barrier of clothing.

He stared at her like an idiot virgin for a few moments, soaking in the sight below him and reveling in what he was about to do. He hadn't been ready before tonight, but his confession had solidified something powerful inside of him. Something he needed to share with her, before she exited his life forever.

"I love you," he whispered as he shifted his weight over her, so she wouldn't get crushed under his body. Her legs parted as he nestled between them, and she looked up at him with love shining from her eyes.

_"Je t'aime_, Finn," she whispered, her voice urgent, almost begging. "Please. . ."

He groaned as he slipped inside of her, her entrance slick and warm as their bodies became one. The sensation was dulled by the condom, but the feeling that coursed through him was so powerful that he had to struggle to remain in control of his body. Rachel gasped beneath him and he studied her face for any sign of pain or discomfort. All he saw there was love and the purest bliss as he shifted his hips and filled her to the hilt.

He started out gentle, trying his hardest not to lose control or hurt her in any was as his focus was entirely on her. Eyes pinched shut, her gasps were the only sounds in the empty house as he pumped into her slowly. It had been so long since he'd had sex but this was nothing like losing his virginity to Santana in a cheap motel. This was something special.

This was lovemaking, not sex.

"More," she cried softly, her head thrashing back and forth. "Harder."

Picking up speed, he held onto her hips as she arched her back, allowing him to push himself deeper and thrust faster. His eyes rolled back into his head as he felt her body tightening beneath him, her gasps of pleasure becoming more frequent and increasing in volume. He could feel his release coming as Rachel tangled her hands in Finn's pillows, calling out his name in her adorable thick accent.

_"Feen!"_ she gasped, her eyes shooting open. _"Je viens!"_ With a buck of her hips he felt her go boneless underneath him, and he joined her in the ecstatic heights mere moments later as he allowed his own release. The two lovers cried out together as their bodies remained as one, and Finn had never felt so close to anyone, ever. How he had lived so long without her in his life would forever be a mystery.

Pulling out of her gently, he collapsed to the side of her as their breathing evened out and they relaxed into each other's embrace. For a few blissful moments, Finn was at peace. He didn't worry about his brother or his parents or his future; nothing mattered at all except for the girl in his arms. The girl he was in love with.

The girl he never wanted to let go.

"You're mine," he said softly to her as they cuddled close in one another's arms. "You're not going anywhere," he couldn't tell if he was joking or serious, but he sure as hell felt serious as she gazed up at him with a soft smile.

"I want to stay forever," she said dreamily. "I never want to leave you."

"I'll find a way to get you to stay, Rachel. There has to be some way that you can stay here with us." He was starting to panic as he thought about her departure. It was only four weeks away. . .

"Shh," she said blissfully, kissing him on the lips and making his previous anxiety disappear. "We focus on the present, not the future," she said, trying to hide the pain in her voice. "The future is too scary."

"Yeah," he replied bitterly, losing himself in the darker recesses of his mind. The future seemed like nothing but an inevitable torture and he never wanted this night to end as his grip on her tightened. "Now you know how I feel."

* * *

><p>Merci mille fois, mes amis!<p>

Don't stop reviewin'!


	13. Mail Call

DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. They re the property of Ryan Murphy and FOX. This is purely for fun. Enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Thirteen: Mail Call<strong>

* * *

><p><em>"Voila!"<em> Mr Schuester said brightly with an embellished wave of his hands as he stood next to their impressive Regionals trophy in the middle of the choir room. The group all hollered and laughed and screamed with delight at their victory over the weekend as Finn watched Rachel like a hawk, looking for any signs of discomfort or distress. She seemed happy enough, however, so Finn allowed himself a moment to bask in their victory along with the rest of the team. He was still vigilant over Rachel as she sat at his side. "Now that we're done with Regionals we can start focusing on our domination of Nationals."

He peeked at Rachel in his periphery and her expression was torn as the rest of the group launched themselves into a discussion about their excursion to the 2012 National Show Choir competition. The only thing that Finn could think of, though, was the fact that Rachel wasn't going to be there with them. They had spent the entire weekend trying to avoid this inevitable conversation, but the truth was that her time in the United States was quickly coming to an end. As much as he wanted to ignore the terrifying prospect of losing her, he had to eventually come to grips with the fact that she was going to leave.

Even though it totally scared the shit out of him.

There was nothing he could do about it, though. Rachel wasn't an American, she was French; she was mere months away from completing her high school degree and she had dreams so big that Finn couldn't even wrap his head around them. Rachel was a true star in every sense of the word; would she even want a silly American boyfriend getting in the way of her future?

Probably not, he thought bitterly to himself as the glee club continued to talk animatedly around him. He unconsciously wrapped his arm around her shoulder while she stayed quiet, seemingly lost in her own thoughts as well. He only snapped out of his trance when a shrill voice addressed Rachel from across the room.

"By the way, what is Frenchie still doing here?" Santana asked, distaste in her tone as all eyes turned towards Rachel. "She's not even going to be here for Nationals. I don't know why she bothers coming anymore." His girlfriend squirmed uncomfortably in her seat as Finn's blood boiled.

"Santana!" Mr. Schuester scolded. "Rachel is just as valuable a member of this club as anyone else here. If she wants to come to rehearsals, she's allowed. Her support is much appreciated." Crossing her arms with a roll of her eyes, Santana dropped the subject and turned around, but not before shooting Finn and Rachel a seething glare from across the room. Finn tried to reciprocate the sentiment with a glare of his own before turning back to Rachel.

"Are you okay?" He asked, gently nudging her in the side.

"_Oui_," she said softly, but he could hear the pain in her tone. "She is right, though. I do not help by just sitting here. Maybe I should not come to 'ze practices anymore."

"That's bullshit, Rach," he insisted, giving her a stern look. "You don't need her permission to be here, and her opinion means nothing. Just ignore her." Nodding softly, she lost herself in the lesson and didn't seem as distressed, but Finn was still extremely worried about her. She hadn't been sleeping well, nor eating as much as she used to. Everything about her seemed sullen and sad, like a beautiful flower that had just begun to wilt. Her unhappy demeanor frightened Finn, who was so used to her exuberant and infectious energy. Now it seemed like everything that used to excite her only made her more upset.

Practice didn't last very long that afternoon, since they were fresh off of their victory and still in a celebratory mood. Finn was grateful for the reprieve since he really didn't want to spend any more time feeing Santana's eyes dig into the back of his skull with her malicious glares. Rachel was restless as well and he wished that there was some way to make everything better. Unless he found a sure-fire way that she could stay in the US, however, they were going to have to eventually face the inevitable.

Upon entering the house, Finn immediately noticed that both his mother and Burt were waiting for them to come home, which was very unusual for a Monday evening. There were suspicious smiles on both of their faces and all of their focus was shifted onto Kurt as soon as they entered the dining room.

"What's going on, Dad? You're never home this early on a Monday." Kurt's voice was wary. "Is something wrong?"

"No way, Buddy. I just needed to see your face when you opened _this_," with a warm smile, Burt passed Kurt a simple white envelope and Finn could see the emblem for NYADA on the return address right before Kurt practically ripped the white paper to shreds. Rachel looked around at the family, confused, as Kurt quickly opened up the thick stationary and read the contents of the letter to himself.

He was so anxious for his brother that it felt like his _own _future was sealed inside of the envelope.

There was silence for a full minute as Kurt read the letter, and the family waited around him with bated breath as Finn began to fear the worst. What if he didn't get in? His brother's future was on the line!

After a tense moment where the only sound he could hear was his own heart pounding, Kurt stopped reading the letter and turned to his family with a shaky sort of smile.

"I'm a finalist," he said, breathless as Burt hollered in joy.

"Yes!" He roared, pulling his son in for a crushing hug as Carole dabbed away at the tears in her eyes. Finn was proud of his brother and gave him a strong clap on the back as Kurt grinned.

"What is going on?" Rachel said quietly at Finn's side, unaware of the importance of Kurt's letter. Finn tried to explain it as best as possible.

"Kurt applied to a school for the dramatic arts in New York City. Now he's a finalist, which means he's one step closer to getting in."

"Ah, _felicitations!" _She said, going over to him and giving him a kiss on each cheek. "New York City! It is so exciting! I have always wanted to go."

"Yeah," Finn said fondly while Burt and Carole cracked open a bottle of sparkling cider, passing a glass to each the kids. "It's an amazing place."

Rachel suddenly turned to him, shocked as she stared at her boyfriend with awe in her gaze. "You 'ave been 'zere?" She rushed, her accent thick from her excitement.

"Well, yeah," he said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck as Kurt shot him an amused look. "Once," he admitted. Manhattan was a fantastic city, but the memory of his last visit still haunted his nightmares as he tried very hard not to think about it. Too bad Kurt didn't know when to keep his mouth shut.

"Last year we made it to Nationals and spent the weekend there. We almost won it too, but. . ." Kurt trailed off as Finn sent him a death glare of epic proportions from across the room, shaking his head violently.

"Dude, _come on_," he begged Kurt to keep his mouth shut but Burt and Carole were all too ready to humiliate the crap out of him in front of his girlfriend as they continued the story.

"Finn fell flat on his face during one of the routines," Burt said, amusement in his tone as Rachel gasped in horror.

"He landed so hard that he broke his nose and lost consciousness," his mother said as flashbacks of that day passed in front of his eyes. The crack of cartilage as they reset his nose back into place was going to haunt him for the rest of his life as it echoed in his ears. Wincing subconsciously, he pinched the bridge of his nose as he tried to shake away the unhappy memories.

"Thank you all for thoroughly humiliating me," he mumbled under his breath.

"'Zat sounds horrible," she said, shooting Finn a sympathetic glance. He wanted so badly to find some kind of comfort in her touch but it was impossible to show any affection towards her around his parents.

"Yeah, I thought Santana was going to claw my eyes out when I regained consciousness," he added miserably. "We made it to 13th place, but it wasn't high enough to make it to the finals. Everybody in the club hated me for _weeks_."

"But thanks to Rachel here, you guys have another chance at reaching the top!" Burt said, and Finn could see the pain in Rachel's features as everyone else stayed oblivious. "Too bad she won't get to go with you guys," he added, sympathetic but extremely unhelpful. "She's practically the reason why you all made it this far!"

Finn seethed silently at his step-father for hitting a nerve that was too painful to ignore as Rachel stiffened visibly next to him.

"I think I am going to go lay down," she said, her voice hollow as she suddenly retreated upstairs without another word. Finn and Kurt saw right through her behavior and turned on Burt with matching glares of fury after she disappeared up the staircase.

"What is it?" Burt asked, completely oblivious. "What did I say?"

"Thanks a lot, Dad!" Kurt stomped his foot angrily. "Why don't you just start running a countdown clock for the day she leaves and put it up over the kitchen table."

He shook his head, still confused. "I don't get it."

"Rachel doesn't want to go back to France," Finn added, the feeling_ very_ mutual. "She likes it here in the States and hates that she's going to miss Nationals this spring."

"The poor girl," his mother added.

"Well, it's a sad thing that she has to go back, but this is what she signed up for. Her time here has always been limited, but if it makes you feel any better then I'll stop mentioning it around her," his sons nodded their heads, seemingly satisfied for the moment. "But we all just can't pretend that she's going to be here forever. She has a little over three weeks left, but we can try to make the most of it."

Finn nodded dumbly, even though Burt's words were echoing in his head like some sick form of subconscious torment. _"We can't just pretend that she's going to be here forever. . ."_

Well, in Finn's opinion it was better than facing the bitter truth.

Finn retreated upstairs after their conversation had finished, hiding away in his room until dinner or at least until Rachel calmed down enough to talk to him, whichever came first. He laid down on his bed and stared at the ceiling like it had the answers to all of his problems when a light knock on his door captured his attention.

It was Kurt, standing in the doorway with his NYADA letter still in his hands as he entered the room and sat at the foot of Finn's bed with a tentative smile. Finn sat upright and shot his brother a smirk as he crossed his legs underneath him.

"I didn't say this before, but congratulations, bro. You really deserve this."

"Thanks, Finn. I appreciate that," Kurt said as he slipped another envelope out of the pocket of his blazer and passed it over to his brother. "But I wasn't the only person in the family to get mail today."

"What's this?" Finn asked, surprised at how heavy the envelope was as he held it in his hands. Kurt shrugged, looking almost as curious as Finn was.

"I don't know," he said. "But seeing as I got my college response in the mail, maybe this is your reply from UA?" The thought filled Finn with a strange mix of anticipation and anxiety as he ripped open the envelope, confused when a small blue booklet fell into his lap instead of a crisp white sheet of stationary. He picked up the little book, flipped it over and felt his heart stop beating in his chest.

It was a passport. _His_ passport, the one he had signed up for weeks ago after promising Rachel that he would visit her in Paris. He ran his fingers over the smooth cover and the gold lettering that spelled out _United States of America_. Kurt was staring at it like he had never seen a passport before in his life as Finn flipped through the pristine pages.

"Finn, when did you get a passport?" Kurt asked, incredulous.

"Um, today?" Was his genius response.

"No! I mean, when did you realize that a passport was a vital necessity to your life?"

"I don't know," Finn said with a shrug. "I mean, my girlfriend is from Paris, right? I should have one just in case."

"Yeah, but she's only going to be your girlfriend for a few more weeks. Do you really expect her to stay with you in a long distance relationship after she goes home?" Panic flooded Finn's system as Kurt's blunt and unapologetic words awakened all of his previous fears.

"She loves me," Finn said. "And I love her. We're going to make it work."

"She has a life in Paris. You're trying to build a life for yourself here," Kurt argued.

"What kind of life could I possibly build for myself?" Finn snapped, his emotions raging out of control as Kurt flinched visibly. "She's the only good thing in my life right now, man. I can't lose her. I can't even _think _about losing her."

"Finn, she's leaving in _three weeks_," he emphasized. "You can't afford to just fly to France whenever you want to see her. You can't just work your life around someone who lives halfway around the world."

"I can try," he said, his tone completely serious as he dared his brother to object. "If only I can find a way for her to stay here in the states with me then there wouldn't be a problem."

Kurt scoffed bitterly, a mocking tone to his voice. "Well, unless you decide to marry her within the next few weeks then she's going back to France whether you like it or not." Finn turned to face his brother slowly, his words sinking in as a determination entered his bones unlike anything he had ever felt before.

"What did you just say?"

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Marriage is the only real way that Rachel can legally stay in the country for good, but I said that in jest because there is no possible way that you are marrying a French girl that you have only known for a month."

Finn was deadly silent as he contemplated his choices and as the seconds ticked away Kurt grew more and more nervous.

"Finn," he said slowly, "Please tell me that you're not considering marrying a French girl that you have only known for a month."

"Would she really be able to stay?" Finn asked, his eyes wide and curious. "Forever?"

"No!" Kurt yelled, getting up from his bed and turning on his brother. "You cannot be serious about this!" He started to pace around Finn's bedroom anxiously. "This is not just a quick fix! You have to go through in-depth interviews and take exams and see government appointed counselors and prove that she's not just using you for a free ticket into the country."

"We can totally do that," Finn said, his excitement growing by the second. "I know a bunch of stuff about her."

"It won't be enough!" Kurt stressed, clearly panicking. "It will _never_ be enough. You have no idea what you're getting yourself into!"

"I can't live without her, Kurt," Finn said, the truth behind his statement resonating through every bone of his body. "She's this big, huge star, and I'm nothing. I'm nothing without her."

"That's not true!" His brother pleaded. "You're using this as just another distraction so you don't have to deal with your future or your choices."

"No," he said, the idea solidifying in his mind as he begun to make plans. "She is my choice. She is my future. We can build one together." As soon as the words left his mouth he knew them to be true. It didn't matter that he had only met her a month ago, Rachel was the girl he loved. The only girl he had ever _truly _loved. There would never be another girl like her, and a life without Rachel wasn't a life he wanted to be a part of.

"You're crazy," Kurt said, shaking his head with a nervous kind of amusement in his tone. "You're barely keeping your relationship with her a secret from Burt now, imagine his reaction when you try to hide an engagement from him?"

"We still have time," Finn said, trying to convince himself more than Kurt at the moment. "We can make this work."

"Well, don't even think about including me in that 'we,'" Kurt replied, affronted as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I want absolutely nothing to do with this fiasco. I've done enough already in trying to keep this a secret."

"Don't worry, Kurt. I'm going to take care of everything," the ideas were bouncing round in his head and refused to stop. "This is my idea and I'm going to go through with this by myself."

"Can I ask you a question?" Kurt asked seriously, leveling Finn with a single stern glare.

"Sure, bro, anything," he replied with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders.

"If you had gotten an acceptance letter to UAkron today instead of your passport would you still be considering marriage as your only option?"

Finn opened his mouth to reply, but something was keeping him from responding to Kurt, like peanut butter was stuck to the roof of his mouth. After a tense moment where he seriously contemplated Kurt's words, he realized that he didn't know the answer to his question.

"I don't know, man." He didn't like feeling so unsure of himself, especially when it came to Rachel.

Kurt shook his head. "Look, I don't deny that you love Rachel, but I want you to seriously think this through before you ask her. I don't see this idea as anything but you giving up on yourself."

"I'm not!" He insisted, even though he wasn't quite convinced. "I mean, I don't think I am." Kurt pat him awkwardly on the shoulder before leaving.

"Just think about it. Don't go through with this unless you're 100 percent sure that this is the right thing for the both of you." Kurt closed the door behind him, quietly, leaving Finn alone with his thoughts as the evening stretched out in front of him. His mind was racing with possibilities as his conversation with Kurt was on continuous loop inside of his head.

By the time he was called down for dinner, he had made up his mind.

Rachel was staying with him in the States.

It was the only way.

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><p>His pocket felt seriously heavy, like there were rocks weighing it down as he frantically paced around the hallway outside of Rachel's bedroom. His hand came to rest over the weight by his hips as he waited for Rachel to get off of the phone with her fathers in France before he popped the question that had been plaguing him all day.<p>

Making up an excuse to Mr. Schue about missing glee practice had been easy; his job at the shop was his go-to alibi for times like these and today it had worked like a charm. He had driven across town like a madman, heading to the nearest Jared's and opening up a credit card with them so he could afford the enormous rock that was going to tear a hole through his pants from the weight. It would all be worth it in a little while, however. He couldn't wait to see her reaction when she realized that he had found her a way to stay in the country.

After another few minutes of manic pacing and frantically checking his pockets, he heard her say _"au revoir" _to her father's over the phone, and he knew that this was his only chance. Summoning up all the courage he could muster, he knocked on her door while trying to keep his hands from shaking pathetically.

She answered it with a shy smile, a light blush staining her cheeks. Her mood had greatly improved since yesterday, even though every minute brought them a minute closer to her departure.

Well, he was planning on fixing that right now.

"Can we talk for a minute?" He asked, slowly entering her bedroom and breaking the cardinal rule of the house. His parents weren't home, however, so he wasn't as worried as he should have been as he pulled her in for a soft hug.

_"Oui," _she replied softly. "What is the matter?"

"I want to talk to you about something, but you have to promise to just hear me out and let me say what I have to say before you respond to anything." With his hands resting on her shoulders, he gently pushed her down so she was sitting at the corner of her bed, her eyes wide with questions.

She nodded her head but looked confused as the ghost of a smile haunted her features. "_D'accord_."

"Okay," he said, exhaling deeply as adrenaline shot through his system like a bullet. A few moments ticked by and Finn could barely form words. "Wow, this is a lot harder than I thought."

"Is there a problem?" She asked shyly.

"No!" he said, a little too enthusiastically. "I mean, there is no problem, except for the fact that I can't put words together right now." They shared a light giggle before Finn tried again. "I love you," he blurted.

"I love you, too," she replied, reaching over to squeeze his hand.

"And I don't want to lose you," her smile faltered. "I don't care if it's in three weeks or three years, I don't want to live without you in my life."

"Finn," she began, but he gently placed a finger on her lips.

"Please, let me finish," she nodded and he removed the finger. "I found a way that you can stay here."

"What?" She replied, her eyes wide.

"I know a way that you can stay here, that we can be together forever." She wasn't objecting yet, so he continued. "It won't be easy, and it's kind of complicated, but it's the only way that we can be together for good." He dropped down on one knee, reaching into his pocket as shock played out over her features. "All you have to do is say yes." He opened the box and the diamonds were dazzling with light as he gauged her reaction. "Rachel Beri, will you marry me?"

She was silent for a long while, almost too long, as Finn shifted uncomfortably on his knees. Her eyes kept bouncing from Finn back to the ring in his hands as her silence stretched into minutes.

"Finn," she said, finally, right as Finn's heart was about to sink into his gut. "I do not know what to say."

"Please say yes, Rachel," he begged with his eyes for her to understand. "We can be together. We can stay here and be happy."

"I need time to think about this," she replied quietly, completely hypnotized by the shimmering ring in his hands. He tried not to treat this too much like a rejection as he held onto whatever bits of optimism he had left. "I do not know what to do. . ." she trailed off and her words were laced with tears.

"Shh, don't cry," he said, panicked as her face crumpled in on itself. Hastily putting away the ring, he gathered her into his arms and tried to ease the tension from her body by rubbing her back in soothing circles. She sniffled into his embrace and he wondered if Kurt had been right all along. Maybe they really weren't ready for this?

"Three days," she replied, looking up at him with red and puffy eyes as she cleared the pain from her throat. "In three days I will give you an answer, okay?"

"Of course, Rachel," he said, hiding away his pain and kissing the top of her head as she snuggled close to him. "Take all the time you need."

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><p>Merci mille fois, mes amis!<p>

Don't stop, reviewing!


	14. Rachel's Choice

DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. They are the property of Ryan Murphy and FOX. This is purely for fun. Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chapter Fourteen: Rachel's Choice<strong>

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><p>The next 72 hours proved to be the most stressful three days of Finn's life. The anxiety plagued him like a virus, with doubt constantly creeping around his periphery. Rachel was detached, distracted and distant while Finn tried desperately to read into her behavior. Was she going to accept his proposal or rip his heart right out of his chest? He couldn't be sure as the hours crept on like eons.<p>

She was barely speaking to him or anyone else, and the rest of the family noticed her behavior. Kurt had no idea that he had gone through with his idea to propose to Rachel, so he was unaware of the reasons behind her downtrodden mood. His parents attributed her melancholy to the fact that her departure date was still looming on the horizon, and thankfully no one asked him any questions pertaining to the matter.

What worried Finn the most was the fact that Rachel had stopped attending glee club meetings. He had shown up after school today to the choir room eager to see her and she wasn't even there. Kurt had dropped her off at the house before showing up to rehearsal and his report was grim.

"She started to cry after lunch today and she said she wanted to go home. She mentioned quitting glee club."

His mood only grew worse from that point on. Glee club felt empty without her, practically meaningless. For a while the glee club was the only thing he could look forward to in his life and now without her there it just didn't feel the same. It felt like she was _meant _to be there with them; like in another life she would have been the star of New Directions and have a life that was bound for Broadway.

But that wasn't their life and unless Rachel agreed to marry him, she had mere weeks left in the states. What would his life be like then? She was the light, the energy that rejuvenated him. She was the inspiration to be better, to do more important things than resign himself to a life of changing tires and oil and lube.

He was hasty in his return home. The house was still empty, save for a light singing that he could hear bleeding through the walls from upstairs. Kurt had gone to Blaine's house for dinner and his parent's wouldn't be home for another hour or so. He and Rachel were the only ones home, and from the melancholy tone of the song she was singing, she was also quite sad.

He checked his watch before heading upstairs. It had been exactly three days to the minute since he had proposed and she still hadn't given him an answer. The anxiety was building and he needed to know her feelings about this. It was killing him inside.

Heading for her door, he raised his hand to knock but then paused before his fist hit the door. Should he really be pressuring her like this about something so important? What if he pushed her too far and she said no?

So instead of pounding on her door like a barbarian and demanding an answer from her, he retreated into the safety and solitude of his bedroom, practicing his drums and trying not to focus on Rachel and his proposal. He contemplated the comments that Kurt had made to him a few days ago as he banged on his drums. If Finn had gotten accepted to UAkron for music, would he still be pursuing a permanent relationship with Rachel? College did seem exciting and fun, and studying would be a welcome distraction to missing Rachel. . .

His thoughts were interrupted when his door started to open and Rachel peeked inside of his bedroom with a shy smile. "You were playing and you did not hear me. I was knocking."

"Oh, I'm sorry," he said as he put down his drumsticks and lifted himself from the kit. "I was just practicing." She nodded her head as she shut the door behind her and he moved forward towards her with yearning in his tone. "You weren't at glee practice today."

"I do not think I will be going anymore," she said politely, her eyes sad. "There is no reason for me to be there." Her words were like daggers piercing into his heart, confirming her rejection. She wasn't planning on staying here for much longer, why should she bother showing up to rehearsals?

"So you've made up your mind, then?" He said, feeling utterly and completely dejected. He had been dumped before, by some of the prettiest and most popular girls he had ever known, but it was nothing compared to the misery he now felt as his heart ripped in half. "You don't want to marry me?"

_"Non, c'est pas ca," _she said emphatically. "It would be a dream to marry you, Finn. A true dream." Her statements renewed some of the hope in his heart as he struggled to understand her logic.

"But you can't say yes?" She shook her head.

"I am sorry, Finn, but I cannot. My life right now is in France. I have responsibilities there and my family. Until I can be free of those things I cannot promise my life to you. It would be unfair. I love you too much to hurt you."

Her words were hard for Finn to hear, but it was the truth. She wasn't his to keep, like some kind of prize; she had to return to the life she had before she had met Finn and accomplish the goals she had been working towards. For him to keep her away from that would be the most selfish thing in the world, and here she was apologizing to _him._

Kurt had been right all along. Maybe they weren't ready for this yet.

"I am so sorry, Finn. Please don't hate me. I want. . ." he cut her off with a desperate kiss, filled with love and longing and apologies for trying to push them into something they weren't ready for.

"Don't apologize to me, Rachel. There's nothing to apologize for." He choked through the emotion clogging his throat to continue. "I just love you so much that I'm scared to lose you. But you're a real star, Rachel. Brighter than any star in the sky and I would be an idiot to try and keep you from that." There were tears in her eyes as she nodded her head, and she pressed her lips against his in another kiss that sent his heart racing. Her lips were soft and sweet under his as he parted her lips with his tongue, gently caressing hers as he deepened the kiss.

When they broke apart Rachel sucked in a sharp breath of air, looking up at him with hooded eyes and and a shy smile. "Do we have to get married right away?" She whispered so softly he could barely hear her.

"What?"

"I know it will be hard, but we can promise to stay together when I go back to France." Wrapping her arms around his neck, he would have promised her anything in the world in that one moment. "I do not want other boys. You are the only one for me."

"Do you mean it?" He asked, clearly torn. "Do you think we can handle a long-distance relationship?"

She giggled at the foreign term. "Long-distance relationship," she repeated. "I like that. I think we can do it."

Grinning like an idiot, he detached himself from her grip and went over to his bedside table, where the ring was hidden away safely in the top drawer. He took it out and got down on one knee again in front of her, beaming with pride as she stuck out her left hand for him to hold.

"Rachel, this is no longer just an engagement ring, this is a promise. A promise to love you for the rest of my life, no matter how far away you are from me. One day we will get married, but for right now we have to work towards making a future where we both fit in. _Je t'aime_, Rachel, and one day we will get married."

_"Je t'aime aussi_, Finn!" She squealed brightly as he secured the ring on her finger. His heart was pounding, practically bursting with love for this petite femme fatale that had completely stolen his heart. They didn't have to get married in two weeks, two months, not even two years, but the only thing that mattered was that they were in love, and that they had time.

Kissing each one of the knuckles on her left hand, and lingering the longest on her ring finger, Rachel practically fell into his embrace and knocked Finn to the floor as the two lovers hugged and kissed and reveled in their happiness.

"I was thinking," Rachel said as they laid together on Finn's carpet, staring up at the ceiling. He was hypnotized by her light accent, still after all these weeks. Her English was getting so good that he almost forgot that she was a foreigner sometimes. "About applying to schools in New York when I return to France." She was thoughtful as she contemplated her options. "Kurt says that colleges here love International students."

"New York?" He repeated, his mind racing at the thought.

_"Oui,"_ she replied. "It is where Kurt is going to be and I will still be here in the country." His heart swelled at the thought of her staying in the US. "You can apply to schools there, too."

"I think that's a totally awesome idea," he agreed, kissing her forehead.

_"Formidable!"_ She said brightly, nuzzling her cheek against his shoulder. "I know you will get in somewhere. Your applications will be very late, but they will see how great you are."

"I hope so," he replied bitterly. "I could always transfer after a semester at UA if I get in there. Without you here my life is going to be depressing enough already, if I have to stay here in Lima I might put a bullet in my head."

"Finn!" she scolded angrily, poking him in the shoulder with her finger. "Never talk that way again! We are going to succeed, _mon amour,"_ she cooed, gently cupping his cheek with her palm. "Nothing can stop us."

"I love you," he said, the truth of his statement filling up every fiber of his being. "We can make this relationship work, right?"

_"Bien sur,_" she said, staring into his eyes and holding him there in a kind of trance. "Because we will fight for the things we love," she said, repeating her personal motto, the one that had inspired him to begin planning his future in the first place. "And I love you, so I will wait until we are ready."

"Rachel," he breathed, pulling her face up by the chin so he could press his lips against hers once more. He moaned into the kiss as her lips melded against his and he dragged his hands over her body, letting them roam underneath her clothes.

They were still lying down on the carpet of Finn's floor, so in a fluid motion he sat up, wrapped his arms around her back and thighs and lifted her up off the floor, dropping her onto the bed with a soft bounce and a bubbling laugh. She giggled as he joined her on the sheets, pulling him close to her before teasing him with her lips. She peppered kisses all over his face, his neck, even lightly nibbling his ear lobe. He shivered in delight as his eyes were transfixed on the dazzling ring on her finger. It looked perfect there and his heart swelled with joy to know that Rachel would always be his, even if there was an ocean between them.

Her hands dragged lower down his torso as she continued her assault on his neck and face. Hooking her fingers around the belt loops of his pants, she tugged at them playfully while he reached down to unbutton them. He was already painfully hard, and every time her hands grazed over his erection he sucked in a sharp breath of air.

Her hand slid inside of his pants, grabbing hold of his cock while she pumped it slowly and looking up into his eyes with a teasing smile. His hands skimmed around her back and quickly undid her bra as she ran her thumb over the tip. He thought he was going to burst right then and there as stars flashed in his vision, but he gently removed her hand and steadied out his breathing.

"Not so fast," he whispered huskily. "Or else we won't have any time to enjoy this." She nodded her head in agreement and they decided to take things slow. She was wearing far too many clothes for his taste, so he removed both her shirt and bra in one swift motion, leaving her topless and straddling his lap. Looking up at her was like staring at a work of art as she reached for his own shirt. He obliged, pulling it up and over his head while the two lovers sat bare-chested in Finn's bedroom.

Sitting up, he pulled her face towards his, kissing her and wrapping his arms around her so tightly that he could feel her breasts rubbing against him. He cupped her lightly from the sides, rubbing his thumbs over her nipples as the rosy skin puckered under his touch.

She moaned into his mouth, making his already painful erection ache even harder as she continued to rub her breasts against his chest, grinding his lap as well. His hips bucked involuntarily, the friction making his body blaze with need as they deepened the kiss even further.

Reaching for her skirt, he caressed her ass once from underneath the fabric before pulling it down along with her panties. She maneuvered herself around until the clothing was removed and returned to grinding herself into Finn's crotch. His dick was throbbing and he was desperate to remove the final barrier of clothing between them as she continued her torturous assault.

Flipping them both over quickly, he placed Rachel softly down onto the covers, kissing her forehead once before slipping his pants off and resting between her legs. Opening them slowly by nudging his knees between them, he looked down at the beautiful vision below him and brought his hands up to hers, grasping them and intertwining their fingers together.

"I love you," he said genuinely, seeing nothing but the deepest love shining back up at him.

"I love you too, Finn," she brought up one of their joined hands and kissed it with a shy smile, and he saw his ring twinkling on her finger in the waning sunlight. _"A toujours,"_ she whispered. "Forever."

"Rachel," his voice was tight with emotion as he thought about the obstacles that they were going to have to face. Long-distance relationships were notorious for messy break-ups and scandalous affairs. "I want you to be happy, and if you find someone else who makes you happy in Paris then I think you should be with them. . ." He was cut off by a sharp gasp, and Rachel had something akin to betrayal shining in her eyes as she looked up at him in their intimate positions.

_"Jamais!_ I would never be with another boy." Her grip on his hands tightened and there was fear in her eyes. "You are the only person I love. You are the only person I will _ever _love."

"I think," he said out loud, "that we're soul mates, you know? Like we were meant to be together," he felt like an idiot for mentioning it out loud, but instead of laughing at him, a beaming smile erupted on her face. "Kurt's application was meant to be processed wrong. You being here was no accident."

He could see tears glistening in the corners of her eyes as she smiled up at him. With their bodies nestled close together the only thing keeping them from having sex was the intimacy of the moment and the need for a condom, which Finn quickly reached over to grab.

"Soul mates," she repeated, liking the way the foreign phrase rolled off of her tongue. "I like that."

"Are you sure that you're going to want to be with me when you go back to France?" He asked, his voice shaky from stress.

_"Bien sur!"_ She said emphatically, holding onto him even tighter. She took their entwined hands and placed them in-between her breasts. "My heart is yours."

"So is mine," he confessed. "It's beating really fast."

_"Tu peux m'embrasser, si tu veux," _she said softly, and he crinkled his brow in confusion. "You can kiss me if you want to."

"I want to," he said, before pressing his lips to hers. Her breath was cool and sweet against his hips as his hips shifted into hers, his cock aching to be touched. He fumbled for a condom while trying not to break their connection as her hands roamed everywhere. He pulled away from her for a split second so he could secure the condom on his member before kissing her once more, stealing away the breath she was trying to catch and swallowing it in his kiss.

She mewled in pleasure as his hips shifted forward, slipping into her slick and silky body. His eyes rolled back in his head from the pleasure as he filled her to the brim, eliciting a deep moan from his lover. Her nails scratched his back as she arched into him, meeting his thrusts as he began to slowly slide out of her. With a grunt he began his steady rhythm, rocking their bodies together as the blissful pleasure began to build.

Peeking down at his lover, his fiancée, he saw nothing but love and pure bliss radiating from her body as he picked up speed, reaching down to rub her clit as he continued to pound into her. Massaging the bundle of nerves slowly, he could feel her muscles clamping down on him in the most torturous way as he felt his own climax approaching. He was so lost in his own pleasure that he barely heard a loud banging noise coming from downstairs.

"Ah!" She screamed suddenly, throwing her head back in pleasure and letting out a cry that signaled her climax. Her body was tight, and pulsing around him as he continue to reach for his own release. Something was bothering him; he couldn't be sure if he had heard a noise or not as Rachel continued to moan.

"Finn?" A loud, masculine yell echoed throughout the house as Finn's heart stopped beating in his chest. Rachel was still coming down from her high, her breasts bouncing to the beat of her heaving breaths as he placed a hand over her mouth so he could hear better. "Finn, what was that noise? Is Rachel hurt?"

The sound of Burt's voice permeating through the walls made him feel like he had been kicked right in the chest.

A panic like nothing he had ever felt before blazed through his system as he gently pulled out of Rachel. He wasn't finished yet but he had more problems to worry about as he heard hard footsteps pounding up the stairs. There was a blatant, all-encompassing fear in both of the lovers' eyes as they scrambled to make it look like they hadn't been in the middle of fucking one another senseless. Rachel didn't even bother to get dressed; she just picked up her clothes, gathered them in her arms and ran straight into Finn's closet slamming the door behind her. He was scrambling with his boxers and accidentally put his arm through the neck hole of his t-shirt when Burt started pounding at the door.

"Finn?" He called, reaching for the door and finding it locked. "Finn, where is Rachel? Kurt texted me to say that she was home and I just heard a girl screaming. She's not in her room."

"Um, I don't know, Burt!" He called, the panic clear in his tone.

"Finn, is she in there with you?" He roared, jiggling the locked doorknob once more as the panic made Finn feel nauseous. "Open this door right this second!"

"OK, give me a minute!" He finally put his shirt on correctly and looked at the closet door once before sucking in a deep breath and opening the door. Burt entered immediately, a fire in his eyes as he stared around the room.

"Where is she, Finn?" He said evenly, but with a warning in his voice that Finn noticed immediately. He was practically frozen with fear, but choked out a response anyway.

"I don't know," he lied. "I haven't seen her since lunch."

"I heard a girl screaming," Burt said, his nostrils flaring. "A girl that sounded suspiciously like Rachel. She's been singing around this house for weeks, I know what her voice sounds like." He looked under Finn's bed and Finn couldn't keep his eyes off of the closet door. "I knew you two had been getting closer, I should have realized that you two couldn't be trusted alone together."

"I was watching porn!" He blurted out to both his and his step-father's surprise. Burt's eyebrows disappeared into the rim of his trademark baseball cap as he stared at Finn in shock. "Yeah, I was, um, watching porn. That was the noise you heard."

Burt looked like he didn't want to beleive him, but he also looked very awkward after Finn's confession and Finn had the impression that he wanted nothing more than to escape his step-son's room. He started to back out of it slowly, seemingly forgetting that Rachel was still nowhere to be found.

His mother chose that moment to come home and head upstairs, and she stood outside of Finn's room while Burt was trying to back out of it. She looked at her son and husband with questions dancing in her eyes.

"What's going on here, guys? Where is Rachel?" Oh no, not his mother too! How was he going to get Rachel dressed and out of his room now that his parents were home? Burt had bought his lie but his mother wasn't so easy to trick.

"Oomph!" A loud bang could be heard from inside of the closet as Finn's heart plummeted right into his stomach. Burt instantly went from looking awkward to furiously angry as he approached the closet and ripped the door open, revealing a half-naked Rachel clad in nothing but his letterman's jacket that was wrapped tightly around her midriff. Her creamy legs were naked and clearly visible as she struggled to remain balanced in the tight and crowded closet.

"Um," she said shyly as Finn, Burt and Carole stared at her. _"Salut,"_ she said with a little wave.

There was complete silence in the bedroom for a few short beats as Burt's face morphed from the palest white to the deepest of reds. There was an angry vein that was pulsing in his neck and for a second, Finn feared for his step-dad's heart.

"Carole!" He roared as Finn's world came crashing down around him. "Get me my shotgun!"

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><p>Merci mille fois, mes amis!<p>

Don't stop, reviewing!


	15. The Fight

**DISCLAIMER: **I neither own Glee nor the characters. They are the property of Ryan Murphy and FOX. This is purely for fun. Enjoy!

**A/N:** This chapter is a short one, but no worries, this fic still has a bunch of drama left before the end of it. I'm actually going to Paris for a week with my boyfriend, so please be patient if the updates are scarce for the next two weeks.

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><p><strong>Chapter Fifteen: The Fight<strong>

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><p>No one moved.<p>

No one even _breathed._

Rachel was still standing in the closet awkwardly, holding her bundle of clothes in her hands while his letterman's jacket billowed around her lithe frame. There was panic in her eyes as she looked at Burt's furious face, which had now turned a violent shade of purple in his ever-growing anger.

Finn just stared in-between Rachel and his mother, who hadn't moved an inch despite Burt's ardent command for her to fetch him his shotgun. Gnawing her lip in worry, the disappointment in her gaze ate away at Finn like acid, the shame scalding him as the enormity of the situation finally hit him in that moment.

They had truly been caught.

His relationship with Rachel was over.

There was no way that Burt was going to let him stay in the house with Rachel for the remainder of her stay. He remembered Burt's threat to send him away like he had made it yesterday and Burt was nothing if not a man of his word.

He should have spent less time worrying about their relationship after she left and more time making sure that their relationship stayed a secret from his parents. Now he was going to lose her weeks before he had previously intended and it was all his fault. There was nothing he could do about it either; he had consciously lied to his parents and broke every single rule of the house.

Now he had to be held responsible for his actions.

"Where's my gun?" Burt asked again and Finn couldn't be sure if he was truly serious or trying to cut the stifling tension in the room.

"Burt," his mom finally spoke, her voice straining to remain steady.. "You need to just calm down for a second, breathe, and reconsider killing off the last of the Hudson line. I _do_ want grandchildren one day."

"Mom, Burt," he started to say, but he was cut off when both of his parents whipped their heads towards him with matching glares of fury.

_"Don't. Say. A. Word." _Burt punctuated sharply, shifting his focus from Finn to Rachel as Finn's jaw clamped shut. "Carole," he said, his voice shaky as the fury rippled through him. "Please escort Rachel to her bedroom so she can get changed and then bring her downstairs right away." His mother nodded her head quickly before ushering Rachel out of the closet, making sure she stayed completely covered while she stumbled around Finn's bedroom. He caught Rachel's eye for a split second and he could see the conflict there; part of her was terrified to face the repercussions of their actions, but another part of her, and he was sure it was the stronger part, was aching to be with him again one last time.

He felt the same exact way, wishing that there was a way he could comfort her in that one moment. Their fingers brushed together for the slightest of seconds as she passed him by and for now, that would have to be enough.

Once Rachel and his mother were out of the room, Burt slowly met Finn's eyes and he had never seen his step-father look so angry. He was bracing himself for an explosion of massive proportions, but Burt's demeanor was dangerously calm as he directly addressed his step-son.

"You have five minutes to get dressed and get your ass downstairs, Finn or else there's gonna be a bullet permanently lodged in it." He turned around to leave, slamming the door behind him as Finn's heart plummeted into his stomach.

He was totally_ fucked._

* * *

><p>He was downstairs in four minutes, a record for him as he moved around on auto-pilot, too concerned with the impending conversation to really notice what he was doing as he threw on some clothes. Burt was already downstairs in the kitchen waiting for him, but didn't acknowledge Finn's presence as he sat down quietly at the dining room table, wishing he could just melt into the walls and escape. When Rachel descended the stairs mere moments later, however, he knew that this is where he needed to be. He and Rachel had broken the rules and now they had to face the consequences.<p>

At least it was something that they could still do together.

His mother entered the kitchen to get Burt while Finn stood up and went over to Rachel, who was practically shaking in her pink and white polka dot dress as he enveloped her in his arms. She clung to his frame like a life line and he savored the moment for as long as he could as she sobbed quietly in his arms.

"Whatever happens, Rachel, just please know how much I love you," she nodded her head sadly as he kissed her forehead. "I never meant for this to happen."

"It is my fault, too," she sniffled miserably. "We knew it was wrong, but I can't help the way I feel," looking up into his eyes, he knew that she was telling the truth. "I do not want to be apart from you yet."

"I don't care if Burt sends me away," he choked through the emotion that was already clogging his throat. "We're still going to be together, Rachel. They can't stop us from loving one another and getting married." There was so much more that he wanted to say to her but he couldn't as his parents finally returned to the dining room. They still looked livid, but Finn refused to let go of the girl in his arms as his parents stared the both of them down.

There was nothing but complete silence in the house as Finn's heart began to pound; the only sound he could hear as he waited for the explosion to commence. His step-father took a deep breath and he knew that this was it. His life as he knew it was over.

"So how long has_ this_," he made a waving gesture at them, still entwined in each other's arms and refusing to let go, "been going on?" Her grip tightened around his waist as he answered, trying to be as honest as possible in order to salvage some form of trust with his parents.

"Since the beginning," he confessed truthfully. "To be honest, I kind of fell in love with her at first sight." He knew it was the truth from the moment it passed his lips. Rachel broke down into sobs as Carole shook her head sadly.

"Finn, we knew that you two were friendly, but we had no idea that it was _this _serious," his mother said, still in shock.

"We're past serious, Mom. Rachel and I aren't just hooking up or fooling around just to break the rules. We're in love."

"You're _children_," Burt added, and his voice held a sharp edge to it. "You have no idea what you're doing."

"I might be young, but I know how I feel," holding the petite French girl in his arms, he knew in his heart that this is where he belonged. Whether it was in Ohio, New York or France, he knew that he and Rachel were meant to be together and there was nothing his parents could say to stop it. "I love her, Burt. We want to be together."

"I trusted you, Finn!" Burt finally yelled, releasing all the built up tension that stifled them all. "We both trusted you to follow the boundaries and rules that were set for this house!"

"We did," Rachel finally squeaked in their defense, her accent thick from panic. "We tried to follow 'ze rules and we still realized we had feelings for one another."

"Rachel," Burt said, his voice strained as he rubbed his temples. "We don't doubt that you two have a crush, but you broke the house rules and now there must be consequences."

"It's not just a crush!" Finn yelled, tired of hiding his feelings for Rachel from the two people who were supposed to support him no matter what. "I love her, Burt. This is serious. This is _real_."

Burt's eyes grew dark as Finn's words sunk in. "How serious are we talking about, Finn?"

"Serious enough for me to propose to her," he said defiantly as both Rachel and his mother gasped. He wasn't planning on mentioning that to his parents for a while, but it slipped out of his mouth before he could stop himself and there was no way to take it back as Rachel lifted up her hand to show them the glistening diamond ring on her finger.

"Finn," his mother said, her voice shaky. "Baby, we know you're still unsure about your future, but marriage isn't going to make things magically better. . ."

"This isn't about my future!" He yelled, still gripping onto Rachel tightly. "This is about me and Rachel and us being together after she leaves."

"What about her life in France, Finn? What about applying to colleges and the tire shop?" Burt was exasperated as Finn continued to divulge his secrets.

"They don't matter to me right now," he said, desperate for them to understand. "I have three weeks left with her before she has to leave. After that it could be months before we see each other again. I'm not saying that we're going to elope right now, but it's going to happen whether you want it to or not."

Burt's face was grim as he stared down his step-son, Finn's confessions swimming around in his head as he made up his mind. With a deep sigh, he shook his head sadly before addressing the young lovers.

"I'm sorry, Finn. I trusted you. I gave you the benefit of the doubt and you still went behind my back to pursue a relationship with the family guest. You knew the repercussions of your actions and you still betrayed our trust and tried to keep this a secret from us." His heart was pounding as Burt sealed his fate. "Go pack your bags, Finn. You are unwelcome here until Rachel leaves." Carole looked so shocked that Finn thought her eyes were going to pop out of her face while Rachel broke down into tears.

"No!" Rachel sobbed from his embrace as he took his punishment in silence. "No, you cannot send him away!"

"I'm sorry, but that's the way it's got to be," his tone held no room for argument.

"Burt,_ please_," he begged, but he promised himself he would only ask once for his step-fathers forgiveness. This was his only chance. "I know I'm not your son, but you're the closest thing I'll ever have to a Dad and you need to understand how much I love her. Don't send me away from her yet."

"You should have thought about that before you two started to _have sex under the roof of this house!"_ He roared, his anger getting the best of him. In that moment, Finn realized that this was it. His fate had been sealed and now he had to be a man and accept his punishment. At least he would still be able to see her in school.

"Alright," he said finally, nodding his head. "I'll go call Puckerman and ask if I can crash there." Burt shook his head, his lips tightened into a firm grimace.

"No way. You're heading up to your aunt's house in Toledo for the next three weeks. It's not exactly a punishment if you can still see her."

"Burt!" Both him and his mother yelled at the same time and Finn was stunned to see his mother sobbing almost as much as Rachel. "You can't do this!" She added.

"Carole, what are you doing?" Burt whispered furiously under his breath as his mother faced off against her husband.

"You never told me that you threatened to send Finn away," she said angrily, her eyes flashing dangerously as Finn and Rachel watched their argument unfold in stunned silence.

"You were the one that told me to set the rules of the house and I did," he said, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Besides, I've done it before."

"Yeah, but that was before we were married, Burt," she said, actually defending Finn and Rachel. "We were living in your house at the time, so it was understandable, but this is _my_ house now too, and Finn is _my _son. You can't just send him away without talking to me about it first."

"What do you expect me to do, Carole?" He yelled, the focus of the argument shifting from the younger couple to the older one. "I made the rules and he broke them. If he can't be trusted in the house then why should he stay here?"

"Mom, _please_," Finn said, his voice laced with tears as he made eye contact with her. "Don't send me away. You can ground me until the day I die but don't take her away from me." His mother's eyes bounced between her son and her husband as she officially stuck herself in the middle of the argument.

"They were breaking the rules for weeks before we found out, Carole. What happens if they didn't use protection?"

"We did!" Finn insisted but basically went ignored as Burt continued his rampage.

"You were the one who told me to set the boundaries, Carole, and I did. Now you're the one telling me that I can't live up to my threats? I'm a man of my word and you _know_ that."

"Well, I'm a woman who loves her son. He was here long before you were, Burt, and his happiness will always be my number one priority." With her hands on her hips, she made her final decision. "You're not sending Finn away. Rachel has a few weeks left and until then he can sleep on the couch downstairs."

"I'll do it," Finn agreed automatically. "I'll do whatever it takes so I can stay here. I won't touch her, I won't even be in the same room with her alone, but I need to be here." Burt fixed him with a dark glare.

"You're in no position to be telling us what you _need_, Finn." He turned to his wife, looking almost as angry with her as he was with Finn. "You want your son to stay here, then you deal with the lovebirds from now on. I'm done with this. I didn't even want this exchange student in the first place." Without another word he turned and walked out of the dining room, heading out of the house completely and slamming the door behind him. His mother winced sharply as he left, her complexion ghostly pale as he realized how badly he'd messed things up for both him and Rachel and also his parents.

She turned to face them slowly, looking at the two lovers as they still held onto one another after all this time. Shooting them a watery smile, she walked up to them and gently placed a hand on Rachel's shoulder as she continued to sniffle into Finn's chest. Finn could see the pain lingering in her gaze and he felt awful for what he had just put his mother through. At least he knew he had someone on his side though, and that meant more to him than anything.

"Mom," he breathed, the gratitude clear in his voice. "Thank you for standing up for us."

"I hope you two know what you're doing," she said softly, looking at them with tears in her eyes as she tucked Rachel's bangs away from her forehead. "I did everything I can to stop Burt from sending you away, but I can't tell you how disappointed I am in the two of you."

His heart sank into his gut as he burned with shame. "I'm so sorry, Mom."

"Why couldn't you just tell me, Finn?" She asked. "You know that your happiness is the most important thing in the world to me. I would have understood."

"I-," he trailed off, not knowing the answer to her question. He'd been so damned scared of Burt's wrath that he didn't stop to think about his mothers' reaction to his relationship with Rachel. Didn't she say that she'd always wanted a daughter? That she wanted him to be happy? Feeling like a fool, he wished that there was a way to fix this mess that he'd dragged his mother into. It wasn't fair to her that she was now stuck in the middle of his mistake. "I don't know what to say except that I'm sorry."

"Well from now on, you follow my rules or else I'll call Aunt Kathy myself and make the travel arrangements, got it?" They both nodded their heads as Rachel stayed deadly silent during the entire exchange. "Finn, you're sleeping on the couch for the next three weeks. No unsupervised visits. No going into each others rooms, and absolutely _no sexual intercourse_ under this roof." Finn's face burst into embarrassed flames but he nodded his head anyway.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go salvage whatever is left of my marriage," after shooting Finn one last look of complete disappointment, Carole disappeared into the next room to grab her cell phone and call her husband. Finn heard her talking from the kitchen as Rachel finally dislodged herself from Finn's grip with tears dripping from her face.

_"C'est horrible,"_ she moaned, pacing back and forth. _"C'est si grave!"_

"Rachel, please calm down," she turned on him with a fire blazing in her eyes.

_"I cannot be calm!"_ She screamed as her voice shook violently. "Your family hates me now!"

"Hey, they do not," he said softly, trying to calm her. "And everything is going to be okay, I'm not going anywhere."

"Oui, but _ma famille américaine _does not trust me anymore! Your parents think we are being silly and childish!" She placed a hand over her heart. "I know how I feel. I know we broke 'ze rules, but I know that I love you."

"Rachel, don't worry about it. My parents will calm down eventually. They love you, and believe me, they blame me for this _way _more than they blame you."

"Carole and Burt are angry at one another now. This is our fault."

"At least my Mom stood up for us! If she didn't I would be on my way to Toledo right now with a bullet in my ass!"

She sniffled and tried in vain to wipe away the tears in her eyes. "They do not want us to get married."

He shrugged his shoulders lightly. "I figured as much, but we're not doing this for them, we're doing it for us." He lifted up her left hand and kissed the knuckle on her third finger, his lips brushing against the hard diamond solitaire in the center of the ring. "_Je t'aime_, Rachel. Now I can say it out loud whenever I want."

"_Je t'aime aussi_, Finn," she responded. "But I do not think I will tell my dads about us yet. I want to wait a bit before they know."

He shook his head, relieved that she still wanted to go through with it after seeing his parent's reaction. "That sounds like a good idea," he said. "It was bad enough dealing with one dad, I don't want to know how much your fathers are going to hate me."

"They will not hate you," she said sweetly, cupping his cheek in her hand. "Because I love you so much. They will have to love you too!" She seemed so optimistic that he couldn't help but smile as he leaned in to place a chaste kiss on her cheek. They had to be careful about their PDA from now on, but at least they weren't going to be separated as the countdown to her departure continued.

"I hope so," he said, still feeling anxious. "But just in case, do you know if they own a shotgun?"

* * *

><p>Merci mille fois, mes amis!<p>

Don't stop reviewin'!


	16. The Grudge

DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. They are the property of Ryan Murphy and FOX. This is purely for fun. Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chapter Sixteen: The Grudge<strong>

* * *

><p>Sighing deeply, Finn took a deep breath and held his head up high before walking into the tire shop that next afternoon. He hadn't spoken to Burt since the fight and when his step-father had returned home later that evening he refused to speak to anyone. He wasn't even on speaking terms with Kurt, who had confessed to his father about his knowledge of their relationship later that night when he'd returned to a broken house. Feeling betrayed by everyone in his family, Burt closed himself off to everyone in the house and wouldn't even look Finn in the eye.<p>

He had to find some way that he could fix this catastrophe. Finn was worried about his mother, who was taking Burt's silent treatment to heart and had never looked more upset. Rachel was also more distant than usual, feeling monumentally guilty for causing such a rift in her host family's marriage. He couldn't even enjoy being a real couple with her now that he was constantly plagued with guilt for trying to keep it a secret for so long.

No, he had to find a way to bring his family back together before his relationship with Rachel wound up ripping it apart.

He entered the shop and waved to the other guys who were lingering around the front office. Checking the list of jobs that they had to do, he couldn't believe the work that needed to be done that day. Normally Burt called him as a warning when the load was this heavy, which discouraged him greatly as he grabbed his jumpsuit from the back and got changed.

Entering the work floor, Burt spotted him right away as he headed for an SUV with a broken headlight. For the first time since the night before Burt approached him, but his lips were pinched into a firm grimace and his eyes were hard and cold. Finn tried to wave at his step-father but it went ignored.

"What are you doing here, Finn?" He said, acid in his tone.

"It's Thursday," he said with a shrug of his shoulders. "I always come in on Thursdays."

"We don't need you today. Go home," his tone held no room for argument and Finn felt like he was being kicked square in the chest.

"I saw the sheet Burt, there are like, ten cars lined up," he tried to reason. "You _need_ my help today."

"I think we can take care of it ourselves. Go home to your girlfriend. She means more to you than this place does anyway, right?" He sneered, mincing up his words from the night before and throwing them back in his face. Finn's hopes plummeted and he realized that Burt was more angry than he had previously thought.

"Burt, I didn't mean it like that. . . " He was cut off by a shake of the head.

"It doesn't matter, Finn. If you don't want to work here anymore, you don't have to come back." Finn's eyes narrowed as he interpreted Burt's words.

"Are you firing me?" Finn asked, incredulous as Burt shrugged his shoulders.

"It's up to you whether or not you want to take this job seriously. I'll see you at home," he said before turning around and walking away. The other men in the shop were all staring at Finn, and he felt their eyes on the back of his head as he immediately walked off of the floor, too embarrassed to stay as he drove home still in his dirty coveralls.

Driving home, he felt so ashamed of himself that he almost had to pull the car over as his thoughts ran wild. He loved Rachel, more than he'd ever loved anything in his life, but since the day she had arrived their relationship had been the cause of so many problems that he couldn't even keep track of them anymore. The lies, the secrets, the sneaking around. Now his relationship with his stepfather might be permanently damaged and he had no idea how to fix it.

When he entered the house a heavenly smell permeated the air, and he followed it to the kitchen where Rachel was running around between bowls filled with various mixes and fruits. She was stirring a giant bowl of what looked like chocolate mousse when she finally looked up and noticed Finn watching her. She titled her head, shooting him a quizzical look.

"What are you doing here? I thought you worked today?"

"I did," he said, shrugging his shoulders sadly as he approached her. "Until Burt fired me."

"He did _what?"_ Was Kurt's shrill reply as he came downstairs in a rush. Finn didn't even realize that he had been home as Rachel gasped. "He didn't!"

"Well, I kind of can't be sure if he actually did. I think he's testing me, to see what I'll pick." He wrapped an arm around Rachel, who was still diligently stirring her bowl of mousse. "But it doesn't matter. As long as Rachel is here, I'll always choose her." She beamed at him, her smile wide and bright as Kurt shook his head in disappointment.

"I can't remember the last time I saw my dad this upset. He wasn't even this angry when Mercedes threw that rock through my windshield during Sophomore year."

"What are we gonna do, Kurt?" Finn asked, exasperated. "My mom is miserable, Burt is miserable, and I tried to do some work for him today as a kind of peace offering but it didn't work."

"I have a plan!" Rachel said brightly. "I am making all of his favorite _pâtisseries! "_ She opened the oven and pulled out an enormous tray of already baked treats. Another full tray was waiting on the counter-top to be cooked as well, along with the bowls she was _still_ preparing. "He will eat them and feel much better!"

_"Mon Dieu_, Rachel, you could open up your own bakery out of the kitchen with all of these pastries!" Kurt exclaimed while Finn stole one and popped it into his mouth. It was flaky and warm and basically melted on his tongue. When he went to take another one, Rachel smacked him on the hand with her stirring spoon, and his only consolation was licking the sweet chocolatey mousse off of his hand.

_"Pas encore!" _She scolded. "'Zey are for Burt, so he will like me again."

"Rachel," Kurt explained. "My dad isn't going to magically feel better because you baked him some treats. We really hurt his feelings. We have to find a way to fix this."

"What can we even do? He won't talk to his wife, he won't talk to his son, and he definitely won't talk to me." Finn explained.

"We have to make him," Kurt said. "He can't ignore us all forever. Rachel barely has three weeks left here and they're going to suck if we don't find a way to bring the family back together again." Finn tried to ignore the sting of truth as he racked his brain for an answer.

"Maybe I should just go to Toledo. Maybe it would be better for everyone if I stayed away until Rachel left."

_"Mais non!"_ She cried, almost dropping the bowl in her shock. _"Feen, tu ne peux pas partir!" _She was so upset she had switched to French. "You cannot leave!"

"I don't have any other options, Rachel."

"You're not going anywhere, Finn," he turned around when he heard his mother's voice, who he hadn't spoken to since after dinner the night before. She looked tired, drawn; what she used to look like before she got remarried. "I stand by what I said last night and I meant it. I don't want you to leave."

"But Mom," he reasoned, desperate to make things right. "This is all my fault. I have to do something to fix this."

"No you don't, Finn. Life isn't always something that can be easily fixed. Burt is feeling upset right now, and very hurt. It might take him a while before he can get over this, and we have to just be there for him and try to be as supportive as possible. That's what being a family is all about." She reached up and cupped his face gently. "Don't worry, Finn. Things will get better soon."

* * *

><p>For the first time in his entire life, his mother had been <em>wrong.<em>

Burt sure knew how to hold a grudge.

For a whole week after the initial argument that had ripped the family apart, Burt refused to talk to anyone in the house. Rachel's "I'm Sorry" pastries went ignored and untouched; she and Kurt had to donate them all to a soup kitchen across town so they didn't go to waste. Finn didn't return to work at the shop and Burt didn't even seem to care. Every day was one day closer to Rachel's departure and Finn could hardly enjoy the time that they were spending together now. She was so upset about Burt's behavior that she refused to be alone with him at all, fully intent on following Carole's rules after Burt's had been broken so many times. The guilt was too much for her to take, and her demeanor had become increasingly sullen and sad.

"He hates me," she cried into his embrace as they sat on the couch together one afternoon. There was only a week left until Rachel had to leave and it felt like time was speeding by them as they tried desperately to hold onto whatever time they had left.

Kissing the top of her head, he pulled her as far into his embrace as possible and tried to calm her down. "If it makes you feel any better he hates me too. At least you get to be free of this crazy house soon, I'm stuck here for good."

"I don't want to be free of this crazy house," she repeated. "I love it here."

"I know you do, Rachel. I wish you could stay, too."

"I have to buy a camera for my computer," she said softly, nuzzling into his shoulder. "So we can talk and see each other."

"Yeah, totally," he said, peering down at her as she blinked up at him through her eyelashes. "And when I find a new job I'll be able to save up money and come and visit you. Maybe over the summer?" She nodded her head while he sighed. It seemed so far away, but it was all they had left to look forward to. They still didn't know their plans for next year and they had little options available for communication. He was trying not to panic too much, but it was starting to become a little too overwhelming for him to handle as the countdown continued. He was only keeping it together for Rachel's sake; if he were being honest with himself he was seriously considering kidnapping her and heading for Canada. They spoke French and English in Montreal, they could totally make it work there! He leaned down to place a desperate kiss on her lips as he got lost in his fantasies.

He was brought out of his daydreams when the front door slammed, and his head snapped up when he noticed Burt glaring at them from across the living room.

"Watch that PDA," Burt warned angrily, making Finn's patience with his step-father grow dangerously thin.

"What, I can't even kiss my girlfriend now?" He asked with a slight attitude while Rachel sat up and inched herself away from him, looking terrified.

"You're lucky that you can even _see_ your girlfriend right now, Finn," Burt said with a tight frown. "I would watch that tone if I were you."

"Sorry," he said sarcastically, not feeling sorry at all. "It's been so long since you said _anything _I forgot how I should talk to you." His mother chose that moment to come into the living room and heard Finn's retort.

"Finn! I know things have been rough around here lately but that's no way to speak to your step-father."

"I'm sorry, Mom, but I'm tired of feeling guilty and ashamed all the time for feeling the way I do." He turned to Burt and the older man looked shocked. "I didn't choose to fall in love with Rachel, Burt. It just happened. Yeah, I should have told you the truth, and we shouldn't have been sneaking around, but Rachel has a week left here and I'm going to spend that time being as close to her as possible because I love her." He peeked at his mother, who was starting to look thin and worn out from all the stress. "And when you love someone, you have to do everything in your power to be with them, and make them feel happy and special and supported." He looked at Burt once more. "So based on the way you've been treating us all, I guess you and I have _very_ different definitions of love," with that he turned around, walking past Rachel on the couch and heading upstairs.

"Where are you going?" Burt called up after him.

"To my room," he said stiffly. "You know, the place where I _haven't _been sleeping for the past week." Rachel shot him a shaky smile as he retreated upstairs, wanting to be away from his parents and their ridiculous supervised meetings in his own house.

He realized just how much he'd missed his own bed when he collapsed onto it, burying his head in the pillows and trying to forget about the fact that the girl he loved had days left to spare and he couldn't even enjoy them. It made his eyes burn and his throat go raspy, but he promised himself that he wouldn't cry before she left.

"Finn?" There was a knock at the door, and Finn lifted up his head high enough to see Burt standing in his door-frame, looking a bit awkward as he shuffled from foot to foot. "Can I come in?"

"It's your house," Finn bit back angrily, letting his head fall forward into his pillows once more.

"You know, it _is _my house," Burt said evenly as he sat on the corner of Finn's bed. "But it's also your house, too." Confused, Finn sat up and stared at his step-father.

"What?"

"You were wrong, Finn. We both have the _same _definition of love, but I haven't been showing it as well as I should have been." He clapped a hand on Finn's shoulder and shook it lightly. "It was only now, when I heard your confession and saw Rachel looking so scared of me that I realized just how bad things had gotten. I was just so upset when I learned how much you had been lying to me that I let my anger get the best of me. Instead of supporting you and Rachel and your relationship I just got angry, and my anger almost ripped the family apart." Finn couldn't believe his ears as Burt continued to apologize.

"What about the tire shop? You fired me." Burt frowned deeply as he shook his head.

"I was being an idiot. We've been buried with work since the day I told you not to come back. The other men kept telling me how stupid I was being but I wouldn't listen to them." He sighed deeply. "You guys are almost 18 now. I can't control you forever, and I definitely can't control who you fall in love with."

"What about Mom?"

"I have some _serious _groveling to do. She didn't deserve to be treated this way for standing up for her son. I would have done the same thing if it were Kurt." Finn nodded in understanding.

"I'm sorry for lying to you, Burt. I never wanted to hurt anyone."

"Listen, Finn. You might not be my son by blood, but I still love you like you're my own. I'm sorry that you felt like you couldn't come to me about this situation, but from now on I want us all to be open and honest with one another, about _everything."_ Finn nodded his head as the leftover guilt started to fade away. "We're a family, Finn, and now Rachel is just as much a part of it as she was before. Just please be smart and _be careful_. I can't tell you how to live your life, but all I ask is that you consider all of your options before you make your decisions."

"Thanks, Burt." Finn said genuinely. "You're a great father."

"You think so?"

"Yup," Finn said brightly. "The best I ever had." They shared a small smile and Burt patted Finn on the knee. "Get your coat on, Kiddo, you're coming with me."

Finn was shocked but still followed orders. "Where are we going?" Burt shot him an amused look.

"You're going to help me with my groveling."

* * *

><p>After an hour out in town and five failed attempts at buying his mother a gift, Finn and Burt went to the local florist and tried to pick out a bouquet for his mother, as an apology gift from Burt. They looked at the different color roses and Burt was deciding whether or not to go for a mixed bouquet or something more classic.<p>

"I hope she likes these," Burt grumbled as he picked out a light pink rose for the bouquet. "I've been _such_ an ass."

"Don't worry, Burt, Mom loves you. Plus she's a girl and girls love flowers." He was thoughtful for a minute. "Maybe I should get Rachel some too."

"Go for it, Buddy." He was thrilled to be on better terms with Burt but there was still a problem.

"I kind of can't afford them," he said, his voice lightly teasing. "Because _someone_ fired me from my job." Burt narrowed his eyes at Finn but still smiled and ordered the girl to make Finn a bouquet of his own for Rachel.

"Don't worry, I got this one. Think of it as my apology to the little French pixy." Finn laughed before Burt's tone became serious. "So what are you two going to do after she leaves?" He shrugged his shoulders, not wanting to think about it but appreciating having someone who cared.

"I don't know. We're going to try to do the long-distance thing but I'm scared that I'm going to lose her. I don't know what we're doing next year and it's driving us nuts."

"Just be smart about this, Finn. She has a life that's filled with goals and dreams and while I know you're hesitant to admit it, there are things that you want to do, too."

"I know, but I don't know what they are yet. I haven't heard from UAkron and Rachel is just as clueless about next year as I am." He was hesitant to open up to him, but Finn wanted to be as honest with his step-father as possible. "We were thinking about moving to New York with Kurt."

An eyebrow raised in surprise, disappearing under the rim of his baseball cap. "Oh really?"

"Yeah, she wants to be an actress and there's plenty of stuff that I can do in the city, even if I don't get accepted to school."

His tone was even as he responded, which was more than Finn could ever have asked for, given the situation. "Well, I think you should wait until know you know all of your options before you make this decision, but if it's what's going to make you happy, then I think you should do it."

"Really?" Finn asked, completely surprised.

"Well, I'm sure your mother is going to be just _thrilled," _he said sarcastically. "But it's your life Finn and you should live it the way you want to."

"Thanks Burt," he said genuinely as the florist passed them their matching bouquets.

"No problem, Kid. Now come on. I have to go beg my wife for forgiveness."

They drove home in amicable silence while Finn held onto the two bouquets. When they pulled up to the house Burt took a deep breath before procuring his bouquet from his stepson and entering the house. Finn followed him dutifully, holding onto his own gift as they spotted his mother and Rachel in the kitchen, making dinner. When the two ladies noticed them they both froze, and Finn could see the hesitance in his mother's eyes.

"Carole," Burt said, removing his hat and holding the bouquet out for her. "I don't know what I ever did to deserve such a loving, passionate, patient wife like you, but I hope I didn't ruin it by being such an ass to you all week long." He took a deep breath and continued. "I was wrong to threaten Finn, and I was wrong to be so hard on the boys that they didn't even feel like they could trust me anymore. I love you, Carole, and I'm sorry."

There were tears in both Carole's eyes _and_ Rachel's by the time he was finished with his apology. His mother didn't say anything, just stared at her husband while she covered her mouth with her hand and ran forward into his outstretched arms. Burt dropped the flowers on the counter-top and held onto Carole fiercely, kissing her hair as she nuzzled her cheek into the crook of his neck.

"And you, Rachel, deserve an apology too." He said with Carole still in his arms, rubbing her back while he looked over at the younger couple. "I'm sorry that I made you feel uncomfortable here. You might only be staying with us for another week, but the Hudson-Hummel house will always be your home here in the States, whenever you need one."

_"Merci, Papa,"_ she said softly, approaching Finn who still had her bouquet in his hands. He leaned over and placed a chaste kiss on her cheek as he passed them to her. Burt and Carole were too preoccupied with their own reunion to notice the younger couple as they stood to the side and appreciated the moment. "'Zey are for me?" She asked, tilting her head slightly with a pout of her lips.

"Of course. They're not for Kurt," he joked lightly and she smiled.

"'Zey are beautiful. _Merci._" She brought them to her nose and inhaled deeply. "I was afraid when you left with Burt," she admitted quietly.

"Really?" He wondered. "Why?"

"_Oui_, I thought he might shoot you or force you to go on a bus somewhere." He couldn't help but chuckle.

"Don't worry, Rachel. Everything is back to normal. Burt and I are fine, and now we can finally enjoy the time we have left."

"Even if it's only a week?" She asked innocently, the pain evident in her tone.

"Yeah," he replied, ignoring his parents and placing a desperate kiss on her lips as the countdown commenced once more. _"Especially _since it's only a week."

* * *

><p>Merci mille fois, mes amis!<p>

Don't stop reviewin'!


	17. Au Revoir, Mon Amour

DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. They are the property of Ryan Murphy and FOX. This is purely for fun. Enjoy!

A/N: I know this chapter is really angsty and sad, and Finn goes to a kind of dark place at the end of it, but there are still a few more left after this one. It's not over yet! Thank you for your patience while I partied it up in Paris for the week.

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><p><strong>Chapter Seventeen: Au Revoir, Mon Amour<strong>

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><p>He could hear her heart beating like a drum next to his ear as he sat with his head on her lap, looking up at her. A halo of artificial light from backstage wrapped around her as she ran her fingers through his hair playfully, and he nuzzled his cheek into her lap softly as her soft giggles echoed around them.<p>

It was a simple chuckle, but it sounded more like music to him as he continued to stare up at her. His angel. His Rachel. They were sitting on the stage, watching Mr. Schue plan out the layout for Mercedes solo at Nationals. Rachel was their own personal cheerleader now that she wasn't exactly on the team anymore, and still came to practice to give her support and advice when needed.

_"Mais non, Monsieur Schuester!"_ She called from their spot at the edge of the stage. "If she enters from that angle 'zen her back will be facing half the audience!" She nudged him softly and he lifted up his head, staring after her as she went over to Mercedes and showed her the exact spot to enter from. "From here your voice will echo out beautifully and everyone will be able to see your face." Mercedes nodded with a smile and Rachel helped her walk through her cues carefully while he looked on with pride.

"Girl, what are we going to do without you when you leave?" Mercedes joked as Finn's heart sunk to the bottom of his chest. This was her last rehearsal _ever,_ and after this week she would be gone for good. Every day he tried to spend as much time with her as possible but it just wasn't enough as time continued to move forward at lightning speed.

Now, in less than 24 hours, Rachel would be gone.

And there was nothing he could do to stop it.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, _Mesdames et Messieurs!"_ Kurt yelled with a flourish as he and Blaine suddenly walked onto center stage, hand in hand. "As we all know, today is Rachel's last day of school, and her last rehearsal with New Directions. I think we speak for everyone here that we couldn't have made it to Nationals without you." Finn saw Santana glaring at Kurt from across the auditorium, but thankfully she stayed silent throughout Kurt's speech.

"We love you, Rachel, and we're going to miss you so much," Blaine continued. "In your honor, there will be a farewell party at my house, tonight. Thankfully, my parents are going away for the weekend so we'll have some privacy. Everyone is invited."

The rest of the group whooped and hollered at the prospect of an unsupervised house party while Rachel clapped her hands and beamed at her friends. Finn got up from his spot on the edge of the stage and walked over to Blaine and Kurt, giving them high fives as Rachel ran to his side.

"Thanks a lot for this, Blaine," Finn said amicably as Kurt and Rachel gushed over the prospect of a party in her honor. "I wanted to do something nice for her too, but my parents haven't gone out in weeks." Things between him and his parents were getting better, but there was no way that they trusted him enough to leave him home alone with Rachel again.

"It's no big deal," he shrugged. "The opportunity arose and I seized the moment. I think we all deserve a nice party where we can unwind together for the last time."

"Yeah," Finn agreed, wrapping an arm around Rachel's shoulders and wanting to keep her by his side forever. "One last hurrah."

* * *

><p>"Let's party!" Rachel screamed in the middle of Blaine's living room, a wine cooler in one hand and a microphone in the other as her voice echoed throughout the house. Blaine had set up a karaoke machine and Rachel had hijacked the microphone, dancing around the house happily while the rest of the club partied around her. She was the center of attention and loved every second of it while Finn watched from the sidelines, nursing his one beer.<p>

Despite her happy mood, Finn could barely even summon a smile as he took small sips from his bottle. Rachel's flight was tomorrow afternoon and nothing in the world was going to change that. It felt like his heart was being squeezed in a vice and every second that passed made it clench tighter and tighter.

_"Feen!"_ He heard her yell. "Finny!" She was by his side in a flash, clutching him around the waist and staring up at him with a wide, lopsided grin. She wasn't drunk, but she wasn't sober, either. She nuzzled her cheek against his chest as he rubbed her shoulders from an awkward angle. _"Tu me manqueras beaucoup. . ."_

"English, Rachel," he scolded gently. _"Anglais."_

"I'm going to miss you so much," she said shakily, her eyes becoming glossy. "I can't believe I have to leave tomorrow."

"I know," he said, choking through the emotion that suddenly clogged his throat. "I'm going to miss you, too."

"We will talk every day," she said, her voice emphatic. "Even if it is over the computer."

"Of course, Rachel," he agreed. "Artie is helping me set up an IP address so I can call you at a discount rate. International calls are really expensive."

"Not as expensive as a plane ticket," she said. "I will save up all my money this summer so I can afford to come back." She grabbed the engagement ring that hung from a gold chain around her neck and rolled the piece of jewelry in-between her fingers. "I hope I can get into school here. I will start applying as soon as I get home."

"What if it's too late?" He said, voicing his fears out loud. "What if you can't come back to the states in the fall?"

She shook her head. "I don't care. I am coming back." She buried her head in his embrace and he could faintly hear her muffled speech. "I have to come back. The United States is a big country, you know. . ." Her voice trailed off as she gazed at him dreamily. "You and I can just disappear."

He closed his eyes for a moment, reveling in the fantasy. Him and Rachel, out there exploring the country and simply fading into the background. She had once said that it was her dream to see all 50 states; he could practically see himself guiding her through the unknown and running away with her and escaping the inevitable end that hung over them like a death sentence.

"We could do it, you know," his voice was deep and thick with emotion. "Run away. If anyone from immigration finds us then we can elope and you can stay for good."

She sighed airily, her eyelashes fluttering. "If only I didn't have to finish high school." Her smile did little to alleviate the pain in his heart. He reached for her hand, so soft and dainty inside of his, rubbing her third finger where his engagement ring should be.

"Come upstairs with me," he whispered to her, watching as her pupils dilated in pleasure. The party raged on around them, but even though it was being held in Rachel's honor, no one seemed to notice when the guest of honor slipped upstairs, tangled up in Finn's arms and attacking his mouth with kisses.

The two young lovers were swept up in a moment of unbridled passion as Finn lifted her up into his arms, feeling her body press up against his. She arched up against him as he held her steady by her ass, squeezing it with more force than he was used to. A deep moan slipped from her mouth and he reciprocated in earnest, groaning as his tongue caressed hers.

He didn't know where he was leading them but Finn hoped that the bed they landed on was in the guest room, where Blaine had given them permission to make love for the last time. There was no way that they could have gotten away with this at home, and Finn would always be grateful to Blaine for providing them with this opportunity. The bedsheets were soft underneath them as they rolled around on the covers, their hands caressing everything they could reach.

Words were whispered in the darkness of the room, English and French mixed together, forming deep sentiments and promises of forever and dedications of everlasting love. Their clothing was shed in a flurry of fabric, hands everywhere, caressing and touching and loving like it was their last night on earth. The party continued downstairs, the music bleeding through the walls, but all that mattered was lying across from Finn in the bed, staring up at him like he was a mirage about to disappear. He crushed her body to him then, feeling her skin under his fingertips, knowing that everything they experienced in that moment was real.

When their bodies joined together as one, her body open and willing and blissfully perfect, he grabbed onto the sheets of the bed like he was holding onto his sanity. Her nails dug into his back, making an angry pain shoot up his side, but he allowed that to shift his focus away from the inevitable and focus on helping her make more of those sounds. A sharp hiss, a deep moan, a guttural grunt that signaled her release.

He threw his head back and basically howled as he reached his own completion, her body still spasming around his as he joined her in their momentary bliss. He collapsed against her side, the sweat trickling down his brow, his heart pounding and breaking at the same time. A wave of emotion crested over him as he curled into her body, and before he realized what was happening he was crying. Deep, heaving sobs escaped his throat as she stroked his hair, and he used her naked breast as his pillow as she held him gently.

After a while she began to hum a tune he didn't know, something that was probably French, but soothing enough to calm his uneven breathing. Her voice was like a soothing balm to his aching soul, stitching together all the rips and tears in his heart at her departure. How was he going to get through this without her?

As he drifted off into a restless sleep, filled with Rachel's voice humming to him in his dreams, he realized that he was going to find out soon enough.

* * *

><p>He woke up to someone screaming, and while the voice sounded distinctly feminine, he knew it wasn't coming from the sleeping girl next to him, whose naked chest still rose steadily with every breath. He was still using her as his own personal pillow, and he rubbed the gunk from his eyes sleepily as he tried to remember where he was. Squinting in the darkness, the room around them looked extremely familiar, but he couldn't place his surroundings as the yelling became louder and more shrill.<p>

"Finn!" The familiar voice yelled. "Rachel! I can't believe you two fucked on my boyfriends' bed!" That woke Finn up faster than a double shot of espresso, and Finn finally realized why the room seemed so familiar. In the midsts of their passionate haze, Finn had accidentally led them into Blaine's room instead of the spare, and Finn burned with embarrassment as he tried to nudge Rachel awake. Glancing at the clock, he knew they hadn't been sleeping long, but they had definitely overstayed their welcome.

"Rachel," he cooed to her softly, his voice hiding the panic he felt at getting caught in Blaine's bed. "Babe, we gotta go."

_"Cinq minutes,"_ she slurred in her sleep and he started to shake her a bit more roughly. Kurt's pounding was a much more efficient way of rousing her as his shrill cries bled through the walls. _"Qu'est qui se passe?" _She mumbled, still half asleep.

"We have to go home," he urged. "My parents are probably furious already for being out this late." Falling asleep was a mistake and his relationship with his parents was still shaky at best. "And we also just made love in Blaine's bed."

"What?" She shrieked, sitting up and finally snapping out of her slumber. Leaping out of bed, she scrambled to find her clothes and threw them on haphazardly. Kurt's pounding continued.

"We'll be out in a minute!" Finn yelled, effectively shutting Kurt up for the moment. He knew it wouldn't last long, however, as he rushed to put on his clothes as well. Rachel looked horrified at getting caught in Blaine's room but it was truly an accident, and he explained that to Blaine as soon as the two exited the room, fully dressed.

"I'm sorry about this, man. We were tipsy and didn't realize we were in the wrong room."

"Ah, it's not that big of a deal," Blaine shrugged off, the epitome of kindness. "Kurt was just annoyed because you two did what we couldn't do tonight. He had a few too many wine coolers." He whispered and Kurt glared daggers at them before stomping off.

The party was over, but the majority of the guests had hung around until Rachel woke up so they could say goodbye, even though it was well past midnight. Bouncing between her friends, Rachel gave them all four kisses on the cheek instead of her normal two, explaining that the gesture was reserved only for the people that one loves the most. If that were true, he would probably wind up giving her kisses on the cheek all night long.

Finn was no longer tipsy, so he drove Kurt and Rachel home in silence as time continued to tick. She had mere hours left in the country and Finn was tempted to just drop Kurt off at home, kidnap Rachel and escape with her into the night, disappearing into the west with nothing but their love to keep them going.

Instead he drove them home, said goodnight to a still surly Kurt, and walked Rachel to her bedroom, pausing outside of her door to give her a kiss goodnight. In the morning, he ate breakfast with his family, faking smiles for her benefit and pretending that his heart wasn't being shredded into bits. He helped her carry her luggage downstairs at noon, taking as much weight off of her as possible and losing himself in the physical aspects of the task. Her luggage was heavier than when she had arrived; during her stay she had collected books, magazines, and newspapers that she could bring back to France to remind her of the States. He was trying hid hardest to be emotionally numb as his parents went over a checklist of things she needed before her voyage began.

"Do you have your passport?" His mother asked sweetly.

_"Oui," _she said, patting the side of her handbag. "It is with my wallet."

"Do you write down your address and phone number in France, so we can call you and send you anything you might have forgotten?"

_"Bien sur! _I will call you the second I arrive back in Paris. It will be six hours ahead though, so you might be asleep."

"It doesn't matter," Burt said plainly. "Call us anyway so we know you're safe."

"Are you sure you don't want us to come with you to the airport?" His mother asked for the millionth time. Rachel shook her head kindly, a small smile gracing her lips.

_"Non, merci," _she said politely. "I want to be with Kurt and Finn. They have been with me since the beginning, and I want them there with me before I go." It took every ounce of strength he had not to start crying right then and there, but thankfully his mother started crying instead and it distracted him long enough to swallow the pain.

"We love you, Rachel. You will always be welcome in this home, no matter what happens in the future." She pulled the girl in for a tight hug and Finn could hear Rachel sniffle lightly. He wasn't going to last long if the women didn't stop being so emotional. He watched as his mother kissed her hair and straightened out the white beret that was perched on her head.

"Good luck with everything," Burt said warmly, patting her gently on the shoulder. Burt looked shocked when she grasped onto him in a fierce hug, but eventually wrapped his arms around her as well. _"Bon voyage, Rachel. Adieu."_

_"Non!"_ She said suddenly, jumping back from his embrace like he had burned her. "Do not say that! Never say that!" The tears were leaking from the corners of her eyes and she continued shakily. "You only say _'adieu'_ when you know that you will never see someone again. Ever." She looked into the eyes of everyone in the family, lingering on Finn's the longest. "And I will see you all again, I promise. For now, it is simply _'au revoir.'"_

_"Au revoir, Rachel,"_ his parents said before Rachel left the house for the final time. They took Kurt's SUV, since it had more room for her luggage, and drove an hour and a half south towards Dayton's international Airport. The car ride was quiet and tense as Finn held Rachel's hand in the backseat. The closer they got to the airport, the more anxious he became.

The inevitable happened. They arrived at the airport and Finn found Rachel a cart so she could push her luggage around the terminal. By the time he came back with it she was hugging Kurt fiercely and whispering in his ear in her native tongue. When she pulled away from him, her face was already streaked with tears and he realized that this was it.

It was time to say goodbye.

Kurt got in the car and told Finn to meet him in the parking lot; it was too congested with traffic for Kurt's giant SUV to sit idle in the middle of the road. Besides, his brother knew that Finn wanted to be alone with Rachel for their final moments, but the look in Rachel's eyes made him feel like he couldn't do this alone.

"Finn," she said, sniffling lightly. "You have no idea how much you mean to me." He opened his arms for her, collecting her in his embrace for the final time. Kissing her hair, he breathed in the smell of her; of expensive perfumes and spring flowers and a little bit of his own musk mixed in as well. Committing the scent to memory, he tried to say something profound or special, but knew he was never a whiz with words. Instead, he allowed her to speak. "I will never forget the time we spent together, or the promises we made. I will be back as soon as I can, and we can be together for good."

He nodded sadly, closing his eyes and feeling the tears fall from them without warning. There was nothing he could possibly say to her now that hadn't already been said a hundred-fold, but he managed to squeeze out a hoarse _"Je t'aime," _from somewhere deep in his throat. The past few weeks had already felt like a long and arduous goodbye, now it just felt like sealing the final nail on the coffin.

They kissed for the final time, her lips lingering on his for a long moment where the only thing he felt was his the pounding of his broken heart. The only thing he could taste was the liquid salt on her lips. The only thing on his mind was how much he wanted to keep her.

But she wasn't his to keep, and their kiss couldn't last forever. She pulled away eventually, her eyes swimming with tears as he tried to memorize this moment forever. The way she looked at him like he could still conquer the world and win, even though he could barely conquer his own emotions. The way she looked in her pristine white beret, the Eiffel Tower earrings dangling from each ear, like the day she had arrived. Had it really been eight weeks ago? It felt like another lifetime.

_"Au revoir, mon amour," _she said softly before pushing her luggage cart through the mechanized doors. He watched as she disappeared into the crowd, her white beret blending in with the haze of the other passengers as he watched her go.

He stood there until she vanished into the busy airport terminal. He stood there until an angry cabbie started to beep his horn at him for getting in the way of the other pedestrians. He stood there until every salty tear in his body dripped down his chin, each one mourning the love that he feared he might never get back. How long until he next saw her? A half a year, maybe more? How was he going to handle the torture of life without her when everything was a reminder of what he had just lost?

By the time he made it back to Kurt's truck, he curled up into a ball in the backseat and kept his eyes closed on the way home, shutting out all the pain and the loss and the regret that threatened to consume him whole. If he allowed himself to feel all this pain for the next few months he would surely go insane, so the only other option was to let it all go. Forget about the tattered shreds of his heart and try to move on as best as he could. He would still talk to her and send her letters and try to be in contact with her as much as possible, but he couldn't allow himself to become crippled by pain, the way he was feeling now. Each mile that Kurt drove, leading him further and further away from her, was another chance to clear his heart of the torture he was sure to endure. He pushed aside the memories, both good and bad, storing them deep inside of his mind while sealing his heart against any future breaks.

When he arrived home and disappeared into the room he hadn't slept in for weeks, he was empty of everything that reminded him of Rachel Beri. He picked up a controller from his abandoned XBox and lost himself in a game.

Ignorance was truly bliss.

* * *

><p>Aww, so sad! Poor Finny sans Rachel!<p>

Merci mille fois, mes amis!

Don't stop reviewin'!


	18. Without You

DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. They are the property of Ryan Murphy and FOX. This is purely for fun. Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chapter Eighteen: Without You<strong>

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><p>He slept a lot these days; the blissful release of sleep brought him more than just respite from the normal everyday pain. There in his dreams, waiting for him every single night with a smile and a sweet <em>"bonsoir"<em> was Rachel. Sure, she was but a mere figment of his imagination, a simple imprint of memory replayed on loop during his slumber but it was more than enough for him. For in sleep, he could be with Rachel once more, and the agony only returned when he opened his eyes in the morning.

Lethargy was a kind way of describing Finn's state of mind after Rachel's return to Paris. He woke up every morning aching to return to the blissful ignorance of sleep but continuing on with his life like he had promised her. During the day he shut himself off to all feeling, every emotion, for if he felt anything at all it would cause a tidal wave that he was sure to drown in. Detachment was his only way of coping with his loss, ignorance and avoidance his new best friends.

The room at the end of the hall, now vacant with the stale scent of her in the air, was his one respite when it all became too overwhelming to bear on his own. He would lay in her old bed, trying desperately to connect to anything in the room that still reminded him of her. She had left a headband in her drawer and instead of giving it to his mother to mail to her he held onto it, grasping it in his hands at night and trying to remember the way it once looked in her hair; the wisp of a smile on her lips, the music ringing in her angelic voice.

He spoke to her almost every day, but it never seemed like it was enough for either of them. The time difference greatly impeded their communication, and the connection that once existed between them did not transcend the Internet and phone lines. He didn't just want to hear her voice, he wanted to feel her breath caressing his cheek. He wanted to see the brightness in her eyes when she described the things that excited her. He wanted to feel the fabric of the adorable clothes that she bought on the Champs-Elysees, instead of seeing it through his computer screen.

It wasn't enough. It could never be enough.

He understood now why most long distance relationships didn't last long; the longing was so great, so intense, that sometimes he found himself questioning whether or not it was worth all the pain involved. He became irrationally jealous whenever she mentioned any male other than her fathers, and to be honest, he wasn't even sure her dad's knew that he existed. Did they know that Rachel had a boyfriend in the States? Was she trying to hide him from them on purpose? He stopped focusing on it when his thoughts became moody and irrational, something that had been happening with more and more frequency.

He just missed her so damn much; not thinking about her was simply less painful than the alternative. If he wasn't directly speaking to her or messaging her on facebook then he pretended that he was numb of all feelings or emotions.

It was driving his family insane. He barely spoke to anyone these days, especially the members of his family. It wasn't that he was trying to punish them or anything, but they knew more than anyone else how much Rachel meant to him, and after she had left they all acted like she had never even been there. They just continued on with their lives and no one seemed to care that she was gone. Kurt of course cared more than his parents did, but he wasn't the one staying up until 1 am to wish Rachel a good morning. He wasn't the one recording glee club practices and attaching them to e-mails so she could keep up with their progress.

Glee club. That was a whole different issue for Finn entirely. Sometimes glee club depressed him so much that he skipped multile practices just to avoid any reminders of Rachel. It was the one place where her missing presence affected him the most; it truly felt like she had been a part of the group and now it just felt empty without her. It didn't seem fair to Finn that she couldn't experience Nationals with them even though she had been one of the main reasons the team had made it so far. Santana strutted around the stage like it was named after her, and Rachel's name was never mentioned at practice.

It was like Rachel didn't exist anymore. Like everyone had forgotten about her.

Everyone except for Finn. She haunted him day and night, in his sleep and while he was awake. He only pretended not to think about her so he didn't feel like crying all the damn time, but even in his voluntary ignorance she still revolved around everything in his life. It was a weird contradiction, but it was working for him so far as March continued towards April. He hadn't gone insane yet, which was the most he could hope for, given the situation.

Spring break was coming up quickly. He and the other guys had been planning their trip for months; a hiking/camping trip along the Appalachian Trail. He'd given Mike the money for it ages ago, and Puck and Sam had been bugging Finn to help them buy camping equipment for weeks, but he didn't even feel like going on the damn trip anymore. Part of him wished that he'd never spent the money so he could have saved it towards a plane ticket to France. Kurt and the girls were going down to Miami Beach, so bikinis and tans were the only things on their mind.

In fact, spring break was the only thing the group talked about during glee club. He decided to drag himself to rehearsal that afternoon, simply because Mr. Schue had started to nag him incessantly about his lack of focus and drive in regards to the club. Sitting in the far back of the room, he tried to block out the inane chattering around him; mosquito nets and sunblock and hiking boots and palm trees were the backdrop to his torturous afternoon.

Rehearsal eventually began after their teacher arrived. Santana got up to perform her solo and Finn personally thought it sounded like cats howling at the moon as he fought against the urge to cover his ears. That would be considered rude though, so he just swallowed his distaste and allowed her to finish the song.

During the applause, however, a thought entered his mind that was so strong, so powerful, that it passed through his lips without preamble, before his brain could stop his voice from saying it.

"Rachel would have sang it better."

No one in the classroom moved as Santana's eyes shrunk into dangerous slits of anger. He hadn't meant to say it out loud, especially at that volume, but it was done and there was nothing he could do to take it back. It's not like he wanted to anyway; he knew for a fact that Rachel could sing the names from the phone book with a cold and still sound better than Santana ever could.

"Well, Lurch finally speaks," she hissed dangerously, coiled like a snake about to strike. "What was it that you just said?"

"You heard me," he shrugged nonchalantly, fully aware that this was the first time he'd opened his mouth at glee club for ages. "Rachel would have sang the song better. Her voice is better than yours is." He didn't know what demon had possessed him to confront Santana in this way, especially concerning an issue that he never wanted to talk to _anyone_ about, but the words flowed from him unabashedly as he tried to stay in control of his raging emotions.

"Well then let's get Rachel to sing the song then!" She said with false brightness until her face hardened into stone. "Oh wait, we can't, because she lives on the opposite side of the world and she's never coming back!"

"Santana," Mr. Schue warned as he noticed Finn's face turning a bright red, but Santana ignored him and continued.

"She's probably knee deep in croissants right now, isn't she? All those French men, wanting to _butter her bread," _she said tastelessly. "I bet they're dying to get a taste of that little cream puff. It must be driving you crazy." Her cruel voice was taunting him, filling his head with images he didn't want to see. Her words were like daggers straight into his heart and he couldn't hear any more of it. Just looking at Santana and the viciousness in her eyes was making him feel ill.

Shaking his head, he got up from the seat and grabbed his belongings, heading for the exit so he could go home. He could feel everyone's looks of sympathy but he chose to ignore them, focusing only on Santana as he walked passed her. Normally he would just ignore her, close himself off from the world like he'd been doing since Rachel had left, but there was something he needed to say to her that couldn't wait any longer.

"You're a bitch," he said simply, looking right into her eyes as she chuckled brightly.

"Um, have you been paying attention?" She turned to her girlfriend Brittany and the two shared a smile.

"But you're not heartless," he continued, watching as her smile faded away. "I know you're not because I see the way you act with Brittany. You love her. I can tell." He took a deep breath and knew that he was about to open wounds that he never thought would heal properly after this day. "So for a minute, just imagine that you were the one that lost the only person you've ever loved. That _Brittany _was somewhere around the world, so far out of reach that it almost seemed impossible to hope for the best. That every time you wanted to hold her, or needed her, she wasn't there." She was stunned into silence, so Finn continued uninterrupted. "You were horrible to Rachel while she was here. You were jealous, and mean, and spiteful and you didn't deserve her friendship. So don't talk about her like you know her, because you know nothing about her, or me, or what it feels like to lose the one person you love more than anything else in the world. I'm done with you, and I'm done with this club."

He walked out of the choir room with twelve sets of eyes staring holes in his back at his departure. He didn't care anymore. They could stare all they wanted to.

He arrived home and his mother was smiling tentatively at him, a thick white envelope in her hands as she held it out to him. The return address was from UAkron

But Kurt's envelope had been much thicker than this one as he took the smooth paper into his hands.

He didn't know how much more stress he could take.

His mother looked expectant, but there was a twinge of sympathy in her gaze, like she already knew the contents of the envelope before he even opened it. His heart was booming in his chest when he slipped out the letter, and he didn't have to read it all the way through to understand it's contents.

He hadn't gotten in. They said his grades had been fine but he'd missed the deadline for the application by a few weeks. After a few sentences urging him to apply for the spring semester he crumpled up the letter in his hands, facing the reality that lied in front of him.

"I'm so sorry, honey," his mother said sympathetically as he squeezed the letter into a ball in his fist. "At least you know that you can apply next semester and get in."

"I don't want to apply next semester," he said bitterly, feeling overwhelmed. "Do you know what this means, Mom?" When she shrugged he had to force himself to continue, opening up even more wounds that had only begun to heal. "If I couldn't get into UAkron then no school in New York is going to accept Rachel. We applied too late. Now there's no way that we can be together in the fall." It was true; they had been hoping against hope that it wasn't too late to get into a school for the fall semester, the only real way that Rachel could legally come back to the states. Now without the promise of school, where did that leave Finn? Stuck in the tire shop all year long while all of his friends moved on to bigger and better things. Before, he thought he might have to endure the entire summer without her; now it would be almost a year before she could come back to the states.

It was hopeless. First he lost Rachel, now he had lost whatever ambition she had been able to inspire in him over the past few months. Dragging himself upstairs, he felt hollow as he entered his room, shut the door behind him, and landed face-down onto his bed, burying his head in his pillows and forcing himself to shut down. Normally he would call Rachel as soon as he came home from school, but he was too ashamed of his failures to admit it to her.

As he forced himself into a restless sleep, he realized that she deserved better than a Lima loser like him anyway.

He and Rachel were over.

* * *

><p>"Finn!" His mother called. "Rachel is on the phone from France!"<p>

He buried his head under the pillows until his mother claimed he was sick.

* * *

><p>The following night his phone beeped loudly sometime in the early hours of the morning, and he reached over sleepily to check his alerts.<p>

_"Rachel Beri wrote on your facebook wall."_

He shut off his phone and went back to bed.

* * *

><p>"Honey, Mr. Schuester called and wanted to know about glee club." His mother asked him at breakfast a few days later. Kurt looked at him expectantly and he couldn't even force himself to make eye contact with him. "Are you showing up to rehearsal this afternoon?"<p>

Peeking over at his brother for a split second, he saw the look of pity in Kurt's eyes and that made up his mind.

"No. Tell him I quit for good."

* * *

><p>"Wake up!" A loud, shrill voice could be heard as he slowly lifted out of his dreams. Something was shaking, like an earthquake was ripping apart his bedroom, but when he opened his eyes he realized that it was him that was shaking and not the ground.<p>

"Wake up, you lard ass!" He strained his eyes against the light in the room and realized that he was staring up at Santana Lopez, who was shaking his body violently in order to rouse him from his slumber. "Jesus Christ, you weigh a ton."

"I'm awake, Santana, I'm awake!" He moaned, pushing her off of his bed and covering his bare chest with his blankets. She crossed her arms over her midriff and scowled, sticking her nose up in the air.

"Don't flatter yourself, Man Boobs. I got a perfectly good chest waiting for me to fondle at home, I'm not here for your floppy man titties."

He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, groaning deeply. "What are you doing here, Santana? It's Saturday." Another thought popped into his head as well as he noticed the date on his bedside calendar. It was already early April, almost a month since Rachel had left. "It's also the first day of Spring Break, why aren't you halfway to Florida yet?"

She sighed deeply, looking at her fingernails as an attempt to seem bored. There was something about her demeanor, though, that threw him off. Normally he could sense her vicious vibes from a mile away, but today she seemed oddly calm and non-threatening. "I came here to talk to you. We have some unfinished business to attend to."

Finn groaned loudly, falling back onto his pillows and pulling the sheet over his head. "If this is some lame attempt to apologize and get me to come back to glee club then you can save your breath. You guys don't need me for Nationals."

"Actually, we do need you for Nationals, Tubs." She paused, taking a deep breath before continuing. "But we also need Rachel, too."

Rachel. Just hearing her name spoken aloud was like sticking pins right into his heart. She had stopped calling him days ago, and even though he was the one to break off contact with her, it still hurt like hell to know that she had finally given up on him. But then again, he had given up on himself first, and he only had himself to blame.

"Rachel is in France, Santana. She's no help to either of us anymore."

"You were right about me, Finn." She said steadily, grabbing Finn's attention. She never spoke to him with such civility. "That day at glee club, when you stormed out. What you said to me really. . .stuck." She admitted with a frown. "Why haven't you been calling Rachel?"

Groaning deeply, he pulled himself out of bed and threw on a dirty t-shirt that was lying on his floor. "How did you even know about that?"

"She's been going crazy on everyone's facebook walls asking about you. She's worried that you found another girl, but we all know you're not that suave. Since you're not talking to any of us anymore, we're starting to get worried."

He shrugged, not wanting to talk about this issue with Santana of all people, but finally wanting to get it off of his chest. "I didn't get into school, Santana. There's no way she's getting into school this fall either. Does she really expect to wait a whole year for us to be together again? She deserves to be with someone who makes her happy, not some loser who's stuck in his shitty hometown halfway around the world."

"Well as far as Rachel is concerned, I think she _is _willing to wait for you and you're being a complete and total asshole to her. She misses you and you're just ignoring her because you don't think you're good enough." She shook her head, clearly disappointed. "Suck it up, be a man, and apologize."

"And how exactly should I do that when she's five thousand miles away from me?" He asked, a hard edge to his voice. The last person he wanted to talk to about this was Santana, so what was she trying to prove? He already knew that he was being an ass and needed to apologize, but what good would it do if they couldn't be together to make the apology count?

It was only then when Finn noticed the envelope in Santana's hand. There was no writing on the front of it, but it still caught his attention as she held it out for him.

"Listen, I wasn't kidding when I said that we needed you and Rachel for Nationals. We can't do it without the two of you."

"What is this?"

"It's a present from the glee club. We put all of our Spring Break money together so you can go to France and get our girl back." Finn took the envelope out of her hands and opened it to find two round trip tickets to Paris. This must have cost them a small fortune, more than their meager vacation money could afford. "Sugar threw in whatever money we couldn't cover," Santana added when she noticed the shock on Finn's face. "I spoke to Figgins and he said that as long as her visa is extended, she can come back to school. What you two decide to do afterwards is up to you."

"I don't understand," he said, his throat clogging up with emotion. "Why are you doing this for me? You hate me."

"I hate _everyone_," she said, her eyes hard. "But I respect you for what you said to me at glee club. If our roles were reversed, and I was the one who had lost Brittany, I would probably be a depressed, mopey idiot too. I hope this makes up for the shitty way I've been treating you two."

He couldn't stop himself from pulling Santana into a strong hug, and she froze in his embrace with a grimace pulling down her lips. "All right, Frankenteen, release me. Your man stench is making me dry heave."

"Thank you, Santana," was all he could say before he released her, running over to his dresser and pulling out his passport before frantically shoving clothes into his football bag. He was packed in record time and Santana even drove him to the airport. Before he left, however, he made sure to grab the piece of paper with Rachel's address on it, his fingers grazing over her perfect, loopy script.

_47 rue de Rivoli_  
><em>4ème<em>_ étage_  
><em>Paris 75004<em>

Barely two hours later, Finn Hudson was in the air and flying towards France with only one thing on his mind.

Finding Rachel and bringing her home.

* * *

><p>Merci mille fois, mes amis!<p>

Don't stop reviewin'!


	19. The City of Love

DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. They are the property of Ryan Murphy and FOX. This is purely for fun. Enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Nineteen: The City of Love<strong>

* * *

><p>He couldn't get comfortable on the airplane; his seat was way too small to fit his six foot frame and no matter where he tried to place his legs he was stiff and cramped and fidgety. There wasn't even a safe place for him to put his arms; the older man next to him had fallen asleep the moment he'd sat down and was currently draped over the armrest that laid in-between them. The only thing Finn could do was curl up into the smallest ball possible, lean toward the window, and appreciate the view.<p>

And what a view it was. At over forty thousand feet above the ground Finn was looking down at the clouds like they were fluffy little cotton balls, floating atop a deep blue sea. Nothing was in front of him but open sky and sunlight, and when the sun began to set he saw the atmosphere erupt into colors he never knew could exist in the sky.

His anxiety increased the closer the plane got to Europe. Finn couldn't speak French and despite Kurt and Rachel's attempts at getting him to learn a few choice phrases, he doubted that _"Je t'aime"_ and "_Tu es belle"_ were going to get him anywhere close to rue de Rivoli. In fact, he didn't even know how far away the airport was from Paris, and how the _hell _was he going to get to rue de Rivoli when he didn't even know where the airport was?

Basically, he was screwed. But he was going to find her no matter what.

The flight attendant proved to be very helpful when she passed him an extra blanket after sunset and he finally asked for help. She explained to him the basics on how to get to central Paris from the airport, and her thick French accent reminded him of what was waiting for him when he got there.

The flight landed in the early hours of the morning, Paris time. Finn was disoriented, tired, and his muscles were aching like hell, but he immediately grabbed his duffel bag and headed towards the train station in the center of Terminal 2, grateful that he didn't have to wait for any checked luggage. There he bought a ticket to central Paris from the multi-lingual machines (thank goodness for technology), and he watched the sun begin to rise from the suburban train as he made his way towards Paris.

He got off of the train at the station that the flight attendant told him to, a stop called Châtelet. She had suggested that he try and use the metro but he squashed that idea immediately upon his arrival. He had no idea where he was, or how to get to his destination, and no one around him was speaking English so he didn't want to chance the subway and get lost. The murmuring of the French language buzzed around him, almost blending into the background as he tried to focus on his task. The train station was busy, but seeing as it was early on a Sunday morning, it wasn't as crowded as Finn had expected it to be.

Following the signs that were hanging overhead and thankful that some of them were in English, Finn tried to find someway out of the underground train station, remembering the way he and the glee club had navigated through the New York City subways last year. Manhattan was the only major city he really knew about, so it was the only thing he could compare Paris to. In fact, France didn't look _that_ different from New York, but the sun had barely risen before the train went underground, so he really hadn't seen anything yet.

When he finally found a flight of stairs to bring him aboveground, he realized that he couldn't have been more wrong.

Everything was so ornate and decorative; the facades of the structures that surrounded him were carved into intricate designs and the buildings that lined the streets were all uniform in height and design. Stylish people in chic outfits were strutting along the sidewalks with cups of coffee in their hands, completely oblivious to the beauty around them while Finn could not stop staring. Every little shop that lined the sidewalk was decorated with flowers, and the menus to the cafés were displayed for every pedestrian to see. An older man walking a tiny dog walked past him and he was almost positive that the dog was dressed better than Kurt usually was.

Walking through New York was like experiencing a mix of different styles, both old and new, modern and ancient and losing yourself in the spectacle. Being in Paris was like living in a fairy tale, completely transporting him back to an age of kings and royalty and splendor long past.

_Of course _Rachel Beri lived here. Everything around him reminded him of her; the language he heard people talking on the street, the pâtisseries he passed by, secretly wondering if one of them might belong to the Beri family, the little souvenir shops along the sidewalks, selling Eiffel tower aprons and keychains. The need to see her only increased the more he experienced Paris, her true home.

He had to figure out how to get to rue de Rivoli, and he stood on a street corner literally scratching his head trying to figure out where he should go next before he found himself lost in a back alley somewhere.

"English?" Someone asked him suddenly, scaring him enough to almost drop the precious sheet of paper with Rachel's address on it. A tiny old woman stood before him that was less than half of his height; her neck craning up towards his face as she smiled at him knowingly. Her accent was thick; so thick he almost couldn't understand her.

"Um, yeah," he replied, his face growing hot as she nodded her head.

"Where you go?" She asked patiently, and he didn't need to speak French to show her the address on the paper. She looked at it for a split second and pointed to her right.

_"La-bas. Allez tout droite,"_ she said kindly before hobbling away, a large sack of produce hanging from a bag at her side. Looking in the direction she pointed, he realized that he was basically on rue de Rivoli already as his eyes flickered to the street signs that were posted on the sides of the buildings. That flight attendant had basically saved him a day of searching as he headed east down the long and busy road.

He couldn't help but act like a tourist as he walked down the street that would lead him to Rachel. He spotted supermarkets and bakeries and restaurants that lined every store-front of every street. He peeked his head down small alleyways that no car could fit through but still held bars, hotels; some of them even led to a hidden park or two.

He didn't know what time it was; his watch was still on Ohio time and when he'd arrived in Paris the sun had barely risen, so he knew it was still pretty early in the morning. The further he walked however, the more people were beginning to line the streets in their finest clothes. There were vendors everywhere selling only the freshest of produce and meats, arguing and bargaining with their customers.

It was_ kind_ of like the United States, but it was also really, really different.

He liked it. The store fronts passed by him in a blur as he continued down the road, and he didn't stop until he saw a small blue sign distinguishing the number 47 over a thick red door. He paused in front of it, his heart racing as he approached, but when looked at the strange door, he knew immediately that he wouldn't be able to get inside. There was a numeric keypad next to the door locking him out, and there wasn't even an intercom there so he could contact somebody. How would he be able to get inside and find her if he didn't know the code? Dejected, he rubbed his temples with his fingertips, feeling the waves of fatigue crash down on him. He just flew across an entire ocean to come and find her and now that he was outside of her house he couldn't even get in.

That's when he noticed it. The door that was next to 47 led to a bakery, and the smell of fresh pastries wafted towards him with such familiarity that he sucked in a sharp gasp. He would recognize that smell anywhere.

Those were Rachel's pastries.

The bakery looked small, a faded red awning above the establishment marked it as _"La Pâtisserie des Étoiles"_ as he moved closer toward the window to get a better look. The windows were lined with all different kinds of pastries, some he could recognize from Rachel's baking, some that looked very different but wholly delicious. He checked behind the counter, expecting to see Rachel there, but instead saw an older boy with curly hair and bright blue eyes that Finn had never seen before. Hoping against hope that he truly was in the right place he entered the shop, heading towards the counter with his heart pounding in his chest.

_"Comment puis-je vous aider?"_ the young man said, looking Finn up and down. When Finn shook his head confused, the man tilted his head to the side and tried another tactic.

"I can help you?" He said in broken English, tripping over the words but still getting his point across. Finn knew that his English skills were probably non-existent, but he had to try. For Rachel's sake.

"I'm looking for Rachel Beri," he said slowly and clearly as the man's eyes grew wide from shock. "Is she here?" Suspicion entered the man's eyes as he backed up away from the counter.

_"Qui êtes-vous?"_ The man said, his voice raising in volume. _"Pourquoi cherchez-vous Rachel?"_

"Is she here? I really just want to talk to her." He didn't know what the man was saying, but it couldn't have been good by the way he stared Finn down like he was about to rob the place. He disappeared into the back room and came back out with two tall, older men in tow who glared at Finn openly.

Well, at least he knew he was in the right place as the three men stood before him. The older men were her fathers, he could tell right away from the way they were staring at him, and the younger kid was the apprentice she had once mentioned.

They guy she had lost her virginity to.

Things were about to get really fucking awkward.

_"Que voulez-vous avec notre fille?"_ Said the taller man, his head balding with thin glasses dropping towards the bridge of his nose. He couldn't understand them at all, so he shook his head and tried his best to explain.

"I don't speak French. No _français,"_ he said, and the men only grew more frustrated with him. "My name is Finn Hudson."

"_'Udson_," the other man repeated as he scratched his curly black hair. All of a sudden his face lit up in recognition, but he didn't seem too happy about it.

_"C'est l'Américain!_" He said suddenly, pointing at Finn while the other men stared at Finn in shock. The taller man looked down at his worker and demanded in a firm voice, _"Donnez-moi mon fusil!" _When the younger guy came back outside a minute later with a shotgun in his hands, Finn wondered if maybe he should have called first before he left the states.

"Whoa!" He said, putting up his hands and looking around the empty bakery for a sign of help that would never come. "I just want to talk to her!" The shotgun was passed over to the head patriarch and Finn closed his eyes as the gun was cocked, but the shot never came as a small bell rang behind him, alerting them to the presence of a customer. Finn wondered for a moment if they would murder him in front of witnesses, but the killing blow never came.

_"Mes papas, Jesse, qu'est ce qui ce passe?_" The sound was like music to his ears as the voice permeated the small bakery, and Finn turned around only to come face to face with Rachel, standing in front of him like mirage. She was stunned to see him as she craned her neck up towards his face, and she covered her mouth with her hands as Finn still held his up at gunpoint.

_"Papa! Arrêtez maintenant!" _She screamed, running in-between Finn and her dad's gun as the boy, Jesse, tried to stop her. He felt rather smug as she blatantly shook him off and continued to stand in front of him. _"Que faites-vous?"_ She screamed, and the argument began.

He had no idea what they were saying. The entire argument took place in their native language and frankly, Finn wasn't sure he wanted to her what they were talking about anyway. Rachel's face was beat red from exertion as she went back and forth with her parents. Sometimes Jesse would throw in a word or two but he would immediately shut up after a fierce glare from Rachel or one of her dads. It was difficult to watch but all that mattered was that Rachel was here, he had found her, and he wasn't about to let her go again.

The argument felt like it had lasted a lifetime. Any customer who walked in during it was immediately chased out by the sounds of screaming and Finn knew that it couldn't be good for their business. When Rachel started to cry all of his instincts were telling him to grab her and run but he stood his ground and waited for them to calm down. Eventually they stopped fighting, but the men in the room did not look happy.

When she turned around to face him there were still tears lingering in her eyes, but she had never looked more beautiful to him as she stood in the middle of her family's bakery.

"Come on," she said, her accent thicker than he'd remembered. "We need to talk." She nodded her head towards the door and he followed her outside and into her apartment building. She typed the code into the keypad and the thick red door opened before they started to head upstairs. Her apartment was on the fourth floor but there was no elevator, so they walked up the stairs in silence; Finn wanted to wait until they were safe behind closed doors to beg for her forgiveness and try to explain his behavior to her.

If she would even listen to him.

He was completely out of breath by the time they made it to the fourth floor, and practically collapsed into Rachel's apartment while she showed no signs of duress. She had been doing this walk-up her entire life while Finn could barely breathe.

He took a good look at her while he tried to catch his breath, sitting on the couch and waiting patiently for him to calm down. She was wearing a spring dress that was baby pink and exposed her creamy legs for the world to see. Perched on top of her head was her signature white beret, even though he hadn't see a single beret on the heads of the French citizens that he had passed by on the street. It only proved to him even more that Rachel Beri was as unique as humanly possible as he tried to smile at her.

She didn't reciprocate the gesture.

"Why are you 'ere, Feen?" She asked patiently as he finally began to calm down. Now that his breathing was back to normal his heart started to race from her proximity as he felt her eyes on him.

"I came here to talk to you, Rachel." She shook her head.

"Why didn't you use 'ze phone?"

"I needed to see you."

"Why did you stop contacting me, Finn?" She demanded angrily, her voice rising in volume. "I thought you wanted to be with me."

"I did!" He backtracked when he saw the look of hurt on her face. "I mean, I do!" This was not going well. "After you left I couldn't take it. I couldn't stand being without you."

"S-so you ignore me?" She asked, her voice shaking. He could tell that she hadn't spoken English in a while by the way she tripped over her words. She shook her head sadly. "Why should I be surprised?"

"What is that supposed to mean?" He said defensively.

"Whenever you do not want to deal with something you just ignore it, Feen. You close your eyes, go to sleep and just hope it goes away, _comme un bébé._ I've said this to you before, back when you didn't want to apply to schools. You would rather sit around and be miserable 'zan do something to make your life better."

"You're right, Rachel," he agreed, noticing the shock register on her face. "That's exactly what I do. It's what I always do and it's killing me. I don't want to be that person anymore."

"What happened to fighting for what you loved, Feen?" She asked, the tears now falling freely from her eyes. "Isn't 'zat what we said to one another?"

"I know," he said, his voice cracking as he felt his own tears begin to fall. He hadn't cried since the day she'd left but it felt good to feel _something _again, rather than just ignore the pain. "I know we promised to keep fighting but I couldn't do it without you."

"'Zat's not fair, Feen!" She said, scaring him with the intensity of her voice. "I had to do this by myself, too, and I'm not 'ze one who just gave up!"

"Rachel, please. . . "

"I was 'ze one who had to explain this ring to my fathers," she said, pulling up the chain that still hung around her neck. The ring he had once given her still rested there, the promises he had made reminding him of how badly he had failed her. "I was 'ze one who had to tell them about my dreams and my plans to leave Paris. 'Zey think you are here to take me away from 'zem." He shook his head, unable to deny the truth. He _was_ here to steal Rachel away from them, and as selfish as it was, he hoped that she wanted it too.

"They must hate me," he said, referring to her dads downstairs. "I deserved that shotgun to the face."

_"Mes papas_ protect me. They love me."

"I love you, too."

She shook her head trying to deny the truth. "I don't know if I can believe that."

Her dismissal of his feelings was like a punch to the gut but he deserved every twinge of pain that wracked through his body. "It's true, Rachel. You don't know the torture I suffered through."

"_Oui_, I do, Feen. I suffered, too. I do not want to go through it again."

"You won't have to," he pulled the tickets out of his back pocket and held them out for her. She looked hesitant before taking the envelope into her hands. "These are our tickets back to the States, Rachel. The glee club paid for them. I really _am_ here to steal you away, and I'm not the only one back home who can't do it without you." She was silent for a few moments as she stared at the tickets and he saw the ghost of a smile begin to pull up her lips.

"They did not forget about me?" She questioned, and he took this opportunity to close some of the distance between them as he kneeled down in front of her on the couch, looking up at her face.

"No one ever forgot about you, Rachel. I was too busy thinking about you all of the time to forget about you, and the club didn't realize what they had until it was gone." He placed his hand on her wrist and she didn't try to pull away. "We love you, Rachel. I still love you more than anything. We want you to come home."

She finally looked up at him with those deep, dark eyes that had always been able to see right through him. Couldn't she see how much he adored her? How sorry he was for messing up the most perfect thing he'd ever experienced in his life? How he would spend forever making it up to her if she just said yes and followed him back?

She placed the envelope down on the table next to her plush sofa and slowly reached out to cup his cheek in her hands. The touch of her skin on his was heavenly after all this time without her.

"_Tu me manquais,_" she whispered, before letting her other hand rest on the other cheek. He brought his own hands up to hold hers and he never wanted to let go of her again.

"I missed you, too," he said, choking on his own words. "_So _much. I'm so sorry."

"My English is terrible again," she pouted. "I am out of practice."

"No way," he said. "You're the only person here I can understand." He squeezed her hands tightly. "We can work on it again, as much as you want."

"Why did you stop calling me, Feen? I know something is wrong." Her mind-reading abilities were still in tact as he exhaled and finally admitted the truth to her.

"I didn't get into UAkron, Rachel." She gasped, looking sympathetic as he continued. "I figured that if I couldn't get into school on such a late application then there was no way you could get into one too, and I gave up on the idea of seeing you again in the fall. I thought it would be too long before we saw one another again and I gave up." He broke eye contact with her then, dropping his head in shame. "You deserve better than a Lima loser like me, but I can't get over you. I can't."

"Feen. . . "

"And if you don't want to take me back I understand completely."

"Feen. . . "

"You deserve the best of everything in your life and I don't want to hold you back from your dreams."

"Feen!" She screamed, snapping him out of his downward spiral of shame. He looked up at her again with wide eyes as she smiled down at him. "I got into a school in New York."

The change in his mood was so fast he thought he might have mental whiplash. "What did you just say?"

"I applied to an international program and I was accepted into school. It's not NYADA like Kurt, but at least I'll be in the States. My visa has already been cleared." The excitement was becoming so strong he thought he might just explode.

"Are you serious?" He practically screamed, jumping to his feet and pulling her up off the couch and into his arms. He held her so tightly that he had to restrain himself from crushing her as all of his wildest dreams came true. He was with Rachel, she was coming back to the states in the fall, and while she was still upset with him, she didn't seem to hate him, which was more than he could have hoped for. Loosening his grip on her tiny frame, he pulled back and looked down to see the happiness glowing from her skin. "Are you coming back for Nationals? Figgins said that you can stay until the end of the year if your visa gets extended."

She beamed at him. "_Bien sur!_ I 'ave to discuss it with _mes papas_, but 'zey will understand."

"Are you sure about that?" He asked, rubbing his neck as he remembered the sight of a shotgun in front of his face. "Because I think they hate me."

She fixed him a pointed look. "They hate 'ze way you treated me when I came home. They know how much you mean to me and I will tell them everything you just said." They held eye contact for a moment and he knew that he had to make this up to her somehow. He didn't care if it took all year long to fix his mistakes but he was going to fight for her.

Because he loved her more than anything in the world.

"Do _you_ hate me?" He asked, needing to know if they could still make this work. He would never forgive himself if he messed this up beyond repair.

_"_I am still angry, but no, I do not hate you. I am glad you came here to get me. France is my home, but America is where my heart is. It is my future." That was all he needed to hear, and he promised himself that he would do everything in his power to make the States her new and permanent home.

"I love you," he said, hoping that she still felt the same after all the torture he put her through.

"I love you too, Feen," she said, and when she leaned forward, her eyes fluttering closed, he didn't hesitate for a moment to capture her lips in his and kiss her until they gasped for air. How could he have survived this long without her addictive kisses? He held onto her like his life depended on it as the lovers were reunited once more. "Come on!" She said brightly as they broke apart for air, and she grabbed him by the wrist and started to head towards the door.

"Where are we going?" He asked with a small laugh bubbling from his mouth. He hadn't laughed out loud in ages and with Rachel by his side he was finally starting to feel normal again.

"You are in Paris!" She exclaimed. "The city of love! Don't you want to see the sights?" She opened the front door but he put out a hand to close it right away before spinning her around and capturing her in his embrace once more.

"Paris can wait," he grinned, peppering her cheeks in kisses as she giggled. The sound of it healed the shattered remains of his heart and he finally felt normal once more. "I've got all the love in the world right here in my arms."

* * *

><p>Merci mille fois, mes amis!<p>

Don't stop reviewin'!


	20. A Week in Paris

DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. They are the property of Ryan Murphy and FOX. This is purely for fun. Enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twenty: A Week in Paris<strong>

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><p>They spent a long time laying down on the bed together in her pastel colored bedroom on the fourth floor of 47 rue de Rivoli, reconnecting after a whole month of being away from one another. They kissed, they touched; they didn't go too far because of her fathers downstairs in the bakery, but they knew that they would eventually have the time to do that soon. Right now they simply held one another, talking and catching up while Finn apologized profusely. He wasn't going to mess their relationship up again, which he told her so repeatedly.<p>

"I'll do anything, Rachel, just name it. I don't care what I have to do, I'm going to make this up to you somehow, I swear." She gazed at him from across the bed, her fingers reaching out to find his and intertwining them.

"'Ze only thing I want is for you to not give up hope again," she said earnestly. "You're so great, Finn, and all I want is for you to realize 'zat for yourself." He shook his head, squeezing her fingers tighter.

"I'll try, Rachel, but I don't know how," he admitted in a whisper.

"What do you want to do when we get to New York?" She asked sweetly, and he found himself lost in thought as he went through his limited options. Right now, his only solace was the fact that she still wanted him to go to New York with her after how badly he'd messed thing up between them. One thing was certain though; he was going to do everything in his power to keep his latest promise to her. He wasn't going to give up hope again. He wasn't going to let his insecurities rule his life anymore.

"I want to go to school," he said slowly. "And play music, and be with you."

She laughed brightly. _"Bonne idée!"_

"And I want to start a band," he continued, getting lost in his thoughts. "Maybe, if I have the time."

"That sounds _formidable!"_

"We're going to need a lot of money though," he admitted. "I should probably get a job until I can start going to school. Fix cars on the side or something."

"Money isn't a problem for _ma famille,_ Feen, so don't worry about 'zat. Whatever you choose, I will be 'zere with you," she said, and he couldn't resist pulling her in for a grateful kiss, her lips both sweet and soft under his light pressure. After all this time and everything he had put her through she was still supporting him and trusting him with their future together. He couldn't mess this up. He had to keep his latest promise to her and not give up on himself again. He owed her that much and more.

"There's only one thing we have to do now," he said, sitting up in bed and pulling her up with him as well.

_"Qu'est-ce que c'est?" _She asked, her eyes wide with curiosity.

"We have to go talk to your dads."

* * *

><p>Finn Hudson was used to being in the presence of intimidating fathers. He loved Burt like the dad he'd never had, but he was still a strict authoritarian that Finn respected and slightly feared. That feeling was both intensified and doubled as he stood in front of <em>two <em>intimidating French fathers who couldn't understand him and perceived him as a threat to their precious family. Finn sat on the couch next to Rachel after they'd returned home from a long days work, staring him down before Rachel had them sit opposite of them on their dining room chairs.

It was a tense minute before anyone spoke, but Rachel eventually started the conversation in her native tongue, easing her parents into the situation.

They did not look happy, but they waited for their daughter to finish before turning their attention towards Finn, who had something he needed to say to them. Rachel served as his translator.

"Mr and Mr Beri, your daughter is a star," he said, and Rachel blushed as she translated. "I'm not joking and I'm not just saying it to get on your good sides. She has the best voice I've ever heard in my life. Her skills and talents amaze everyone she meets. She's going to be famous one day, I know it in my heart." His girlfriend looked thrilled as she continued to translate his praise to her fathers, and Finn took a deep breath before continuing

"But she can't be a star here in France. I'm not going to sit here and tell you what your daughter wants because you know her better than anyone. You know that she's amazing, and you know that she has to move to the US in order to pursue her career."

Her fathers continued to glare at him, but a certain softness entered their gaze as Rachel continued to translate his heartfelt and honest words. They knew that he was speaking the truth, and Rachel's talent was something that transcended any language barrier that existed between them.

The shorter, dark-skinned one spoke first, and Finn was shocked when broken English escaped his lips. "Our Rachel, she eez star."

"I know that, sir. But she wants the entire world to know that, too."

"She go to school in New York. _Ça suffit._" Rachel shook her head.

"He said that school in New York should be enough for me."

"But it's not," was Finn's instant response. "When Rachel lived with us she became an important member of our high school's glee club, and we need her to be with us in order to win Nationals this year." He took a deep breath, hoping they didn't have another shotgun hidden somewhere in the house. "I want her to come back to the United States with me at the end of the week and finish the rest of the school year in Ohio. My parents will let her stay in her old room, and if you don't want her to then I'm sure we can ask one of the girls to let her stay with them." Rachel translated in a rush and there was a harsh outcry from both parents, who didn't look too happy with the idea.

_"Mais non!"_

_"Vous ne pouvez pas voler notre fille!" _Finn didn't know what was being said, but Rachel suddenly let out a burst of laughter that made her practically shake from the effort.

"What is it, babe?" Finn asked, worried at her swift change in attitude.

_"Qu'est-ce que c'est, ma chérie?" _Her fathers were confused too.

"'Zey think you are trying to steal me away from them," she sighed after calming down. "Let me talk to them now. They cannot say no to me." Patting Finn on the knee, he was more than happy to allow Rachel the chance to speak for herself as she faced her fathers and began to defend herself.

The conversation was short, but it involved many tears and hugs and glares shot at Finn from across the room. It was only after Rachel had convinced them that she wasn't being kidnapped by her American boyfriend when they started to soften up towards him. By the time the conversation was over, her parents had opened up a vintage bottle of red wine and even poured Finn a glass as they toasted to Rachel's future in the United States. They were going to call her school and arrange the visa themselves.

She had received her father's blessing. She really was going to come back home with him.

_"C'est un pinot noir, un bon age,"_ her father, Hiram, said to Finn after the toast. He must have noticed that Finn didn't actually drink the wine afterwards. He'd never had wine before, but it made his mom go _nuts._"You taste."

"Um, I'm not allowed to drink until I'm 21." He said shyly, intimidated by the blood red drink in his hands.

"Taste! Taste!" He urged, and Finn shrugged his shoulders before sipping the wine. It had a sharp, bitter flavor that burned on the way down, but it wasn't terrible. It kind of tasted like a glass of spiked grape juice. He forced a smile when the aftertaste made him wince, and that seemed to placate her tall, bespectacled father, who seemed to know less English than his husband did.

_"Ma Rachel,_" he said. "She love you."

"I know," he said genuinely. "I love her too."

"Protect her," he said, his tone serious. _"En New York."_

"I will," he said just as seriously, the two men connecting on a deeper level than words could describe. Her fathers were trusting him to look after her in New York, but it meant more than just protection. He was being trusted to guide her through a foreign city while helping her achieve all of her goals and dreams. He couldn't fail at this task. Her fathers were telling him to step up and be a man that was worthy of their daughter, and he wanted nothing more than to prove to them that he deserved her.

He wanted to prove to _himself_ that he deserved her.

With a strong pat on the shoulders, her father kissed Finn on the cheek once, and then repeated the action on the other side of his face. Finn froze for a moment at the proximity, but smiled brightly after Hiram loudly proclaimed, _"Bienvenue a notre famille!"_

* * *

><p>Finn was ecstatic that he had her father's approval, but that didn't necessarily mean that he could sleep under the same roof as Rachel like he did back home. He woke up the next morning on a sofa in the living room of Jesse's apartment, which was about four blocks away from Rachel's bakery. The Frenchman was not thrilled that he had to house an American for a week but he grit his teeth and accepted the task of giving Finn lodging for the remainder of his stay. He only spoke a little bit of English and most of it Finn could barely understand. Finn had definitely been taking Rachel's language skills for granted as he struggled to communicate with the Baker's apprentice in his own house.<p>

Jesse just glared at Finn until he shut up and didn't say a single thing to him all night.

Finn kind of preferred it that way.

_"Lève ton cul!_" Jesse screamed throughout the apartment, throwing a damp towel at Finn's head as he moaned loudly. Finn peeked out of the large double windows and the sun hadn't even risen yet. _"Il faut que je travaille aujourd'hui."_

"I don't know what you're saying," Finn groaned, placing the pillow over his head while Jesse continued to curse and yell in French. At least, Finn _assumed _he was cursing.

"Lazy _Américain!"_ He roared, pulling the pillow off of his head and throwing it across the room. Finn sat up and shot Jesse an evil glare.

"I'm not lazy," he grumbled, getting up and slipping on his pants and shirt. Alright, maybe he was _kind of_ lazy, but he didn't need some snotty French guy telling him that.

"Come. I work." Jesse demanded a few minutes later, completely dressed and ready to start his day. Finn could only assume that bakers started working _really _early as he followed Jesse towards the bakery and Rachel's apartment in the darkness of the early morning.

They walked in silence, Finn distancing himself a few steps behind Jesse as they made their way through the darkened streets. Paris still managed to look pretty in the dark; numerous lights were attached to the sides of the building and lit up the various attractions on the streets, highlighting the intricate architecture without the need for sunlight.

He was so in awe of his surroundings that he didn't even notice Jesse stop at the corner, and he accidentally plowed right into the baker's apprentice, causing them both to stumble as a Parisian bus whizzed by.

_"Fait attention quand tu marches! T'es __**nul."**_He spit, venom in his tone. Finn didn't know what he was saying but it couldn't have been good.

"I'm sorry," he shrugged, pointing at the buildings. "There's just so much to see. I got distracted."

Jesse shook his head as the two men continued down the road. _"Il faut apprendre le français, Mec."_

"Huh?"

Jesse sighed, throwing his hands in the air. "Learn French, _stupide! _You love Rachel? 'Zen learn 'ze language!" Turning around, Jesse continued his trek toward the bakery in silence while Finn contemplated his words. He really should learn French, for real this time. Sure, he knew a couple of choice phrases, but that hadn't gotten him very far in Paris when he'd arrived. In fact, he could barely talk to her fathers, and if he was going to be protecting their daughter from the dangers of America, he might as well learn her language so he could report back to them. Rachel would be thrilled at his effort and it would take some of the burden off of her when it came to communication.

When the two boys arrived at the bakery the smell of pastries were already wafting through the air. They both entered and Finn followed Jesse into the back room, where Rachel and her fathers were slaving over a tray of freshly baked pastries, the heavenly scent making Finn's mouth water.

_"Bonjour!"_ Rachel said brightly to Finn, bypassing Jesse completely and placing a chaste kiss on his cheek. Finn watched Jesse scowl from the corner of his eye and could practically feel the jealousy radiating off of him from across the room. He began to busy himself with a large bowl of melted fudge when Rachel pulled Finn out of the baking area and onto the sales floor.

"Did you have a nice night?" Rachel asked sweetly with half of her body smeared with flour. He brushed some of it off of her shoulder and laughed when it rose off of her in a puff of smoke.

"Yeah, I was kind of scared that Jesse would try to murder me in my sleep, though." They shared a laugh together and he sighed. "He definitely doesn't like me."

"How can you tell?" She asked, mischief in her eyes.

"He yelled at me a lot. Called me a 'lazy American' and some other words in French that I think were curses." He tried his best to repeat what Jesse had said and Rachel looked shocked.

"I cannot believe he said 'zose things to you!" She said, her hands on her hips. "He is just jealous." She dropped her voice down to a whisper. "My fathers know 'zat I don't want to own _la pâtisserie._They hired Jesse to take over for 'zem when they retire, but I think Jesse assumed 'zat I would be included in the deal."

His eyebrows raised in shock. "Well, you slept with him, right?" He asked, his heart aching at the thought of Rachel with anyone else, let alone the little French bastard in the kitchen.

_"Oui, mais c'etait rien. _It meant nothing to me." She reached out her and and clasped it around his. "You do not have to worry. Jesse is nothing but a friend. I will talk to him."

"You really don't have to. I am kind of messing around with his space. He has a right to be angry."

_"Oui, _but you are my boyfriend. My fathers consider him a part of 'ze family too, just like you are now. It is something he must accept."

Words could never express how grateful he was to have her in his life. She had the magical ability to make everything better, and always knew exactly what to say to him. "I love you so much," he said, shaking his head in wonder.

"I love you too," she said brightly. "And after we eat some of these," she pointed to a large tray of freshly baked pastries that he recognized as the famous hero pastries that he'd loved. "I can show you all that Paris has to offer." He reached over and grabbed a bunch of them in his hands, already stuffing them into his mouth before she could even finish speaking. They melted on his tongue and the buttery flavor made him close his eyes in bliss. In fact, he was so lost in the delicious flavor, he didn't even care that he was talking with his mouth full as he responded.

"Shounds like uh plahn."

* * *

><p>She took him <em>everywhere.<em> Street by street Rachel dragged Finn through Paris, stopping at every corner to point out some important fact, or detail or historical account that once took place there. She pointed at the buildings and explained to Finn their significance; what King had it commissioned, who lived there, who _died_ there. She ticked off the names of all the bridges that traversed the Seine and why they were so important. They rode the Metro until Finn could memorize all the stops and lines that could get him back to rue de Rivoli, in case he got lost without her.

But the best part of touring Paris with Rachel was seeing her in her element. Paris was her home, and she knew it's history better than any teacher that he'd ever had at school. The historical facts flew out of her mouth with precision and certainty as they continued their massive tour of the city. It took almost four whole days to see all of the major sites and Finn was beyond exhausted. The only thing keeping him going was Rachel's contagious enthusiasm, which only grew stronger with every landmark they saw. By the end of the week Finn could barely walk on his blistered feet, and he was sure that he could name all the French Impressionist painters featured at the Musée d'Orsay by heart.

"How do you know all of this stuff, anyway?" Finn asked on Friday evening, after a whole day of touring through the Left Bank. They still had some time before her dads closed the shop and joined them for dinner on their last night in Paris, so they were enjoying their time alone on her small but comfortable bed.

"'Zey teach it all in school. I have been going to 'zese museums since I was five years old."

"That's cool. They don't care about history as much in the States as they do here. I guess it's cause France is, like, super old and important and stuff."

_"Oui, _America is like a baby country compared to France. 'Ze history goes back for thousands of years!" She opened her arms up wide to elaborate, and she laughed as he pulled her on top of him and hugged her, taking advantage of her open arms.

"Can I ask you something?" He said, staring up at her and the perfect white beret that was adorning her head. "Why do you wear that beret everywhere? I've been in France all week and the only people that I see wearing them are tourists."

She was quiet for a moment, nodding her head slightly before she started to explain. "It was my mother's. 'Ze woman who carried me. She was an American, studying theater in Paris when she answered 'ze ad in 'ze paper for _mes papas._" She sighed deeply. "'Zis is 'ze only souvenir I have of her."

He reached up to cup her face gently, brushing his thumb along the span of her jaw before letting it rest on her lower lip. Slowly, he leaned towards her and replaced his thumb with his lips, kissing her softly as she sighed blissfully against his mouth.

"I had no idea. I'm sorry."

"It is not very important, but it was hers and I like it," she frowned and he wished that he could kiss her sadness away. "Everyone here at school tortures me about it, but everyone in Ohio thought it was cute." She took it off, placing it next to her bed as she continued to talk about it and how the other kids at school used to tease her and call her a tourist, but a random thought suddenly entered Finn's mind and dug itself somewhere deep in his brain. So deep that he was unable to shake it off.

"Rachel, you said your birth mother was an American?"

_"Oui,_ she was born in Kansas, I think."

"Well, doesn't that mean that you can get citizenship in the country if one of your parents is an American?" Her brow furrowed, deep in thought as she contemplated what Finn just said.

"I do not know if it works like 'zat," she said, unsure of herself before she looked up at Finn with determination in her eyes. "But we can always try. Do research when we get back."

"Yeah we can," he encouraged. "And if it doesn't work then you still have your visas for the time being." He dropped the volume of his voice, whispering to her as she straddled his lap "And when those run out after college, we still have the ring."

_"Oui,"_ she said, her eyes shining with excitement. "I like this plan."

"Me too," he replied, the urge to close the distance between them and kis her growing too strong to ignore. He pulled her down until she was flush against him and captured her lips in his, her sweet breath caressing his cheek as she pulled back to gasp for air. He took this opportunity to attach his lips to her neck, sucking and nipping at the skin as his hands started to roam over her body. Her skin was smooth like silk and as fragrant as flowers as he dipped his hands below her skirt, cupping her ass lightly and causing her to man and buck up against him. The delicious friction made him tingle as he grew lightheaded; all the blood in his body rushing south to where his need was the strongest.

"Feen," she moaned, dragging her nails down his chest until she hit his belt and the lip of his pants. She curled her fingers into the belt loops and continued to grind against his crotch; he held her steadily by the hips and continued to rock against her until stars entered his vision.

"Rachel," he said, his voice gritty and raw. "What time does the bakery close?"

_"Dix-neuf heures,"_ she replied in a daze. "Seven." He checked his watch, grinning when he saw that they had time to spare.

"Come here, baby," he cooed, pulling her off of him and laying her to his side. She curled up against him, their hands still roaming and touching after their lips found one another's once more.

Their clothes came off piece by piece as the sun began to set over the horizon outside of Rachel's large windows, the sunlight draping the young lovers in an incandescent glow as they tried to make up for lost time. Finn took a breast in each hand, feeling their weight and rolling her pert nipple in-between his fingers as she closed her eyes in bliss. When she curled her hand around his length he sucked in a sharp hiss as the pleasure threatened to overwhelm him, and she made stars enter his vision when she started to slowly pump him up and down.

He gently removed her hand, not wanting their time to be over so quickly. He told her to lay back and he shifted his body until he was looking down at the perfection below him. She stared up at him, her eyes glossy and dazed as he pushed apart her knees and cupped her in-between the legs. Her mouth opened in a silent cry when he slowly slipped a digit inside of her, followed by another, and her breathing sped up as he curled his fingers inside of her.

Withing minutes he had her purring under his touch, her body shuddering with release as he pumped his fingers inside of her and felt her slick heat. When her body went limp and boneless underneath him he looked up to see the joy in her gaze and the love that was radiating from her petite frame.

No words needed to be said after she procured a condom from her nightstand. Their eyes were locked together as their bodies became one, and in that one moment their bodies were as connected as their souls were. They were tethered together for life; whether it was 5 miles or 5,000 they would never lose the connection that had brought them together, and Finn knew it in his heart that she felt the same as she held onto his tightly. Her nails were digging into his back as he pumped into her, and he held on as long as he could as they both tried to reach the ecstatic heights together. Her body felt so soft beneath his, so slick and warm and perfect that he lost himself in her. After a few more pumps he was riding the waves of release, and he was thrilled to hear Rachel falling apart beneath him as well.

They were sweaty and spent by the time Finn pulled out and rolled over next to Rachel. Their breathing was deep and heavy and the air in the room was hot and stale. She quickly bounced up out of bed and opened the large windows leading out to the street below quickly hopping back into bed and curling into Finn's side and nuzzling against him.

"I missed that," she said shyly, a light blush highlighting her cheeks.

"Me too," he said, nudging her playfully on the side. "But I missed you more." She cupped his face tenderly, looking into his eyes and keeping him hypnotized in her gaze.

"My sweet American boy," she said, her voice full of affection.

"My beautiful French girl," he repeated, making his own changes.

_"Merci, Feen,"_ she said dreamily, still staring into his eyes. He shook his head, confused.

"For what?"

"For coming to Paris to get me," she said. "For believing in me and my talent."

"Of course, baby," he said, kissing her deeply. Her parents had arranged the transfer with her school and her visa was cleared by the government. By tomorrow night they would be back in the States. "Paris is a great city, but New York is our future."

_"Oui, _I will miss Paris," she admitted, glancing out of he window at the world she knew and loved. When she turned back to look at Finn, however, there was nothing but pure love shining in her eyes. "But wherever I am with you, Feen, 'zat is where I am truly home."

* * *

><p>Merci mille fois, mes amis!<p>

Don't stop reviewin'!


	21. Home Sweet Home

DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. They are the property of Ryan Murphy and FOX. This is purely for fun. Enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twenty-One: Home Sweet Home<strong>

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><p>Their flight back to Ohio was the next night; Finn had to spend one more torturous evening at Jesse's apartment and then he and Rachel would finally be heading home for good. She had arranged a phone call to the States earlier that evening, serving as a translator between her fathers and Burt to discuss her living arrangements for the rest of the year. Kurt had apparently spent the entire break refurnishing the basement exclusively for Rachel, completely catering to her personal tastes and keeping her as far away from Finn's bedroom as possible. There was even a deadbolt on her door, for extra protection from horny boyfriends (Kurt's words, not hers). Her fathers had agreed to the deal and Rachel was now officially allowed to live with the Hudson-Hummel family again.<p>

Now all that Finn had to do was survive the final night with Monsieur Jackass.

They both sat uncomfortably on the small couch in his living room; there wasn't a lot of space in Jesse's apartment, unlike Rachel's, and they were forced to occupy the same cramped couch while Finn tried to understand a French-dubbed episode of CSI. His face was clenched tightly in confusion when heard Jesse laugh at him from across the couch. Their eyes met in a deep glare.

"You look like you try to crap," he laughed, shaking his head.

"Yeah, well, they're kind of talking pretty fast. Even if I did know French I still wouldn't be able to understand it."

_"C'est pas mal," _he shrugged. _"Anglais, c'est difficile aussi,"_ Jesse sighed at Finn's confusion. "English 'eez difficult too."

"Yeah, Rachel makes it look easy," he said, before he realized how weird it would be to actually talk to Jesse about his ex. Did he still have feelings for her, despite Rachel's adamant assurance that their little fling meant nothing? "Her English is almost perfect."

"She 'eez _très intelligente."_ He said pleasantly enough, but his voice had a sharp edge to it. Jesse shot him an icy glare before speaking again. "Be good to 'er."

"I will," Finn nodded, holding his ground against the French baker. "I love her. I'm going to take care of her."

After a tense moment the Frenchman finally nodded, looking Finn up and down and appraising him like he had never truly seen him before. Without another word Jesse turned back to the TV and Finn no longer felt like Jesse wanted to murder him in his sleep.

He even translated the TV show for Finn before they both turned in for bed.

* * *

><p>Her parents had driven them to the airport the next day in their tiny Renault, with Finn fidgeting in the backseat over the severe lack of leg room. With the prospect of more cramped seats in his future he definitely wasn't looking forward to the uncomfortable return trip.<p>

At least Rachel would be at his side this time instead of some balding, drooling old man who usurped his personal space. She was hugging her fathers tearfully, embracing them tightly as she said her goodbyes to them. She was going to be in the States indefinitely from this point on; they had to complete the rest of the school year and Finn was planning on taking her on the cross-country trip she had once mentioned during their summer vacation. He was going to show her as much of the country as possible before they moved to New York together, and even if they didn't get to see all 50 states he was going to do his best to acclimate her into her new home.

As for right now, standing outside of Charles de Gaulle airport, Finn was going to give her all the time she needed. She wasn't coming back to France for a long, long time.

_"Au revoir, mes papas,"_ she said, kissing them on the cheeks and hugging them once more. They both gave Finn firm handshakes, followed by kisses of their own. French men were really quite affectionate. He was lucky that Jesse didn't come along for the ride.

_"Au revoir, Feen," _they said to him, and no other words needed to be exchanged between the men. Finn knew that from now on, his responsibility was to keep Rachel happy and focused and safe while she was in the States, and he didn't plan on breaking that promise anytime soon.

"Thank you for everything." Finn loaded up the cart with their luggage and wheeled it inside the airport while Rachel shuffled in after him. When they were waiting on line to check in he grabbed her hand, squeezing it softly as he noticed the tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Hey, what's the matter?" He asked with worry in his tone. She shook her head, avoiding eye contact.

"Nothing," she whispered, looking around the airport. "France is my home," she sniffled. "I love 'ze States, but I will miss Paris."

He nudged her playfully on the side, eliciting a small smile from her. "Well, you'll be back one day," he said. "It might be a while, but Paris will still be here, with your dads and Jesse and the bakery. You know this is the right thing. This is everything you've always wanted."

Her gaze finally drifted up towards his face, a cherubic smile gracing her features as their eyes locked. "Non, _mon amour_, this is everything I've always wanted and more."

* * *

><p>The plane ride was dreadfully long, but being able to look over at a resting Rachel with a light blue sleeping mask over her eyes was worth the discomfort. This time he'd actually been able to sleep on the plane for a little while, so while it was uncomfortable it was also much shorter than he'd expected. Kurt was supposed to be picking them up from the airport, and Rachel started to run towards the exit when she spotted the familiar black SUV parked outside of the terminal. They embraced tearfully while Finn watched from the side, pushing their luggage along like the awesome boyfriend he was. After they were all loaded into the car and headed back to Lima, Finn noticed that they weren't driving towards the house, but the school instead.<p>

"Dude, where are we going?"

"Well, you're not the only person who missed Rachel," he said with mischief in his eyes. "Besides, Carole and Burt won't be home until dinner anyway. We can afford to make a pit stop for a little while." When they arrived at the school Rachel was thrilled to see all of her glee club friends waiting for her patiently in the choir room. Screams of joy filled the air as the other members rushed up to pull Rachel in for an epic group hug.

"We missed you!"

"We're so glad you're back!" Rachel was thrilled that the rest of the group didn't forget about her like she had once feared and gave every single member two kisses on each cheek.

Finn looked over towards the one other person in the group who wasn't involved in the massive hug. Santana looked at the display of affection in front of her with distaste, but Finn could tell from the grateful look in her eyes that she was relieved Rachel was back. When the others pulled away from Rachel, Santana darted forward, and the French girl froze as the Latina sauntered up to her with a wry smirk on her face. When the two girls were finally facing one another the smirk melted into something soft, something that looked very much like a smile.

"Well, at least I know that I don't have to carry the weight of this entire team on my shoulders by myself anymore." She said with ample amounts of snark that the entire club could see right through. Instead of being intimidated, Rachel opened her arms and pulled Santana in for a hug, shocking the taller girl whose eyes looked like they were about to fall out of her face.

"I missed you too, Santana," Rachel said sweetly, and Santana finally gave up all pretenses of resentment and hugged the smaller girl back, her arms tightening around her as a mischievous smile pulled up her full lips.

"Well, Frenchie, you smell _nice_," she said seductively, sniffing her hair. "If you ever get tired of Ball Sweat over here I'm sure Britt wouldn't mind sharing me for a night." Rachel pulled away from the hug with a deep blush on her cheeks while the rest of the team around her laughed at the embarrassed expression on her face. Finn even chuckled too, before pulling Rachel back to his side and sending a sneer directly towards Santana.

"Well guys," Mr. Schuester said, clapping his hands and joining the circle of kids. "Now that our star is back, we need to catch her up on everything she's missed. Let's take it from the top!"

* * *

><p>Life was finally normal again for the Hummel-Hudson family; well, as normal as it was while Rachel was living with them. She had her new room in the basement that had a strict No Boys Allowed policy, but Finn and Rachel still were able to find time to be alone together and intimate, always outside of the house. Finn was spending a ton of money on rented hotel rooms for him and Rachel, but she was paying him back in ways that money couldn't measure.<p>

Upon her return the glee club became their newest priority, and Rachel attacked the task with dedication and heavy ambition. She pushed the club to it's furthest potential and almost got into a screaming match with Santana on _multiple_ occasions, but by the beginning of May the team was ready to compete at Nationals. Having Rachel on the team again was the boost they needed in order to prepare themselves for the competition.

Finn joined the team again, of course, since he and Rachel were practically attached at the hip whenever they had a free moment to be together. His entire attitude about school and life in general had changed drastically now that Rachel was home, inspiring him everyday to be better and to aim higher than he ever thought possible. He fully intended to keep his promise to both her and her fathers and never let his insecurities get in the way of taking care of her and loving her with all of his heart. In fact, the more she inspired him, the less insecure he became, which helped him with his preparations for Nationals.

Glee club wasn't the only thing keeping them busy. Finn and Rachel tried to look for her birth mother so she could try and apply for citizenship, and the only woman whose name matched her birth records lived in New York as a music teacher. She was grateful that her fathers were willing to help her, and they provided Rachel with the woman's name and any other information that they could find. Rachel had contacted her through email and was poised to meet her birth mother, Shelby Corcoran, during the weekend of Nationals. They weren't trying to reconnect or make up for lost time; neither of them were ready for that, but Shelby was willing to help Rachel get her citizenship so she wouldn't have to leave the States once she finished college. Shelby claimed that it was the least that she could do for her daughter.

So once again, Finn found himself cramped up into a little ball on a plane, but this time he didn't have to suffer for_ too long_ as the glee club made their way to Nationals in New York. He was nervous as the skyline came into view, giving him flashbacks of the humiliating performance that had occurred last year at his expense and reminding him of how much he didn't want to screw this competition up. This was his last chance to really win and prove to his school that the glee club was more than a singing group of losers. With Rachel as their lead, they were going to return to Lima as the kings and queens of New York.

He had to do this. If not for himself, then for Rachel.

She burst into tears when she stepped off of the plane and saw the ubiquitous skyline in the distance, welcoming them to New York. She pressed her hands against the glass windows and stared out at the foreign world in front of her with awe. Sure, she had lived in a major city her entire life, but Manhattan wasn't like other cities. There was a certain attitude in New York that didn't exist in other places, and a culture that was completely different from everything that they were used to.

Rachel fell in love with it immediately. The second she stepped out of the subway and onto the street her eyes just lit up with a kind of infectious happiness that spread throughout the entire club. Even the members who had been there the year before were thrilled to be in New York again, and the first night was spent touring the city and showing Rachel what New York had to offer. This time he was the tour guide, but what he told her paled in comparison to her extensive knowledge of Paris. She loved every second of it despite his shortcomings, and the two tourists spent their first evening in New York falling in love all over again.

* * *

><p>Finn was practically shaking backstage, his nerves getting the best of him as they waited anxiously to perform. Every time he tried to calm down and maintain his focus he got flashbacks of last year's debacle and the humiliating performance that knocked New Directions out of the top ten. He'd been practicing his dancing non-stop in order to make sure that he didn't make an ass out of himself, but when he was on stage in front of a crowd of thousands of people, anything could happen despite their intense preparations. If he ruined their chance for glory again he would never forgive himself, and the club would never forgive him either.<p>

"Feen?" He looked down at his side to see Rachel staring up at him, worry creasing her brow as he continued to fidget in place. He kept trying to fix his tie, which was off center no matter how many times he tried to re-tie it and get it to lay flat and centered. He let go of it with a groan, frustrated and overwhelmed as the other glee club danced on stage. They were from Nebraska, or some other state in the middle of nowhere, but they were pretty good. "What is wrong, _mon amour?" _Besides the occasional accent and random French that slipped into her vocabulary, Rachel's English had improved drastically once she was re-immersed in the country. She still took her studies in English very seriously and spent many hours a week increasing her vocabulary and grammar skills.

"I'm nervous," he admitted, dipping his head down in shame. "Last time we were here I messed everything up and I don't want that to happen again. I want to win so badly."

"Me too," she said, nodding her head. "And that it why we will be perfect, because we want this more than anyone else." She placed a hand on his arm and the simple gesture started to soothe the stress right out of his body.

"But what if I mess up?"

"Feen!" She scolded, her eyes blazing with ambition. "We are finally singing a duet together! We are going to be in 'ze spotlight!" When she got excited her accent became more and more pronounced. "We have been practicing for weeks. You have been amazing in rehearsals and I know that you will be amazing on stage with me tonight."

"I hope so," Rachel had campaigned rigorously for them to finally sing a proper duet together and he didn't want to screw this up for her. Even though he knew all the steps to their routine by heart. there was still a chance for him to face-plant in the middle of the stage and ruin their chance to be the champions.

"If you get scared, or worried, just look at me," she said sweetly, taking him by the hand as the sound of applause filled the auditorium. "And everything will be okay." It was time for them to get into their positions as he bent over and placed a grateful kiss on her willing lips. He would have made it last longer, but Mr. Schue was practically pushing them towards center stage as their time ran out.

"Break a leg," he whispered to her as the curtains began to rise.

_"Je t'aime aussi," _she said sweetly, and the band began to play.

* * *

><p>Their final night in New York was warm as the couple walked through midtown together, their arms looped around one another as they tried not to plow into over-zealous New Yorkers and gaggles of tourists. Finn had just taken her to see her first Broadway musical on the heels of their National Show Choir Championship victory, which they couldn't have achieved without their star performer. She was practically dancing on air as they maneuvered their way through the crowded streets.<p>

Before the musical, however, they had spent the afternoon talking to Shelby Corcoran, who was kind enough to meet Rachel for lunch earlier that day. The meeting was quite awkward towards the beginning, but the two women warmed up to one another quickly and started to discuss the possibility of Rachel gaining citizenship in the United States. Shelby was willing to help her and even called a lawyer friend of hers who worked closely with Immigration and Naturalization cases. They exchanged numbers and were going to keep contact with one another throughout the summer, at least until she moved out to New York herself.

Right now, Finn was content just to be with Rachel in the city of their dreams, and experiencing a taste of what their life would be like for them in New York. He held her as close to his body as the space would allow as the navigated the numbered streets that increased as they headed north to explore more of their future home. They walked through Rockefeller Plaza, staring through the crowds of tourists that still flooded the streets even at the late hour. Finn asked Rachel if she wanted to do some shopping inside the multitude of stores that surrounded them, but she was more than content to just sit outside and appreciate the view.

"I love it here," she said to him softly, sitting down on a bench and leaning her head against his shoulder. Her beret was still firmly in place and Shelby had cried when she noticed Rachel wearing it during lunch. He rested his cheek against the fluffy white fabric and sighed, completely content with the world.

"I do too," he agreed. "I can't believe we're going to live here in a few months. It seems unreal."

"But it is real, Finn," she said, her eyes shining with happiness. "Ever since I came here to the States and met you, I feel like all of my dreams have been coming true, one by one." She squeezed the arm she was holding. "Even 'ze ones I never dared to dream."

"Like what?"

"You," she whispered. "My American boy." A sense of peace filled him at her heartfelt words, and he held her close to him, dreaming about the endless nights that they were going to spend together here in this magical city.

"Well, take a good look around you, Rachel," he said, lifting his head and looking up at the new and exciting world that was destined to be their future. "Because after this summer, New York will be our new home." Pressing his lips against her forehead, she buried herself into his embrace as the city surrounded them, inspired them, and welcomed them with open arms.

"_Oui_," she said gently. "Our sweet sweet 'ome."

"Silly," he chuckled, nudging his cheek against her as he corrected her. "It's_ 'Home Sweet Home'_."

_"Oui," _she repeated, slightly embarrassed._ "'Ome Sweet 'Ome."_

* * *

><p>Thank you for sharing this journey with me! The Epilogue will be the next and final chapter.<p>

Merci mille fois, mes amis!

Don't stop reviewin'!


	22. Epilogue

DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. They are the property of Ryan Murphy and FOX. This is purely for fun. Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Epilogue<strong>

* * *

><p>The sky was endless above him as he looked out at the hills and valleys that spread out in front of him towards the horizon. Finn sucked in a deep breath of the fresh mountain air, letting it fill his lungs as a blissful calm settled over him. He could hear his other friends calling him from further down the trail and he paused, waiting for the rest of the group to catch up with him as he stared at the picturesque mountain views.<p>

"Your legs are too long," complained Rachel, trailing behind almost everybody else except for Kurt, who looked like he would rather be anywhere else but the middle of the Appalachian trail with the rest of the glee club. They had arranged this trip right before graduation so they could have one final adventure with one another before they all went their separate ways in the fall. Some of the members of the group were more enthusiastic about the excursion than others.

"I have rocks in my designer boots," whined Kurt as he slumped over on a giant boulder on the side of the trail. Blaine rubbed his shoulders sympathetically and Rachel approached Finn with a light sheen of sweat on her brow. She wiped it away hastily as she joined Finn's side and he kissed her lips lightly as the sun beat down on them. She took a huge swig of her water bottle and sighed dramatically.

"Come on, you've been climbing stairs all your life, you can't handle a little mountain?" He joked as a pout pulled down her bottom lip.

"I thought we were going to see all 'ze states this summer," she said, trapping him with her wounded-doe eyes as he chuckled.

"I wanted to, but no one in the club was able to get a proper Spring Break because of us and I thought this might be a good way to make it up to them." He nudged her in the side and tried to get her to smile. "We have the rest of the summer to explore the States. I wanted to see Mike and Puck one last time before they headed to LA, and Quinn leaves for Boston in a few weeks." He sighed. "I'm glad that Kurt is coming with us to New York."

_"Moi aussi,"_ she said sweetly, "We are going to start contacting landlords about apartments in the city soon."

"Yeah," he said, looking around at the people who surrounded him; the friends he would never forget. Graduating high school was a bittersweet experience, he realized as he thought about the various roads his friends were about to take. For years they had been united by one goal, one dream, and now they were all branching off to start a new dream for themselves.

Holding Rachel close to his side, he diverted his focus from his friends to the petite girl in his arms. He might not know for sure what the future had planned for him, but he was ready to try new things and let New York shape his future for him. He was excited for Rachel to begin school, but he was also excited to try out different options for himself and make his own decisions. He was already looking into schools and different programs that he could apply to, and he wasn't letting his indecision control his life anymore.

With Rachel at his side, he was ready to accomplish anything.

"America is so beautiful," Rachel muttered under her breath as she stared out at the vast mountains and valleys that spread out around them. Some of their friends started to attack the trail once more, and they could hear Kurt groaning as Blaine practically dragged him back onto the path.

"Yeah, it's pretty sweet," he agreed. "Not as beautiful as you are, though."

A bright blush erupted on her cheeks as she started to walk and catch up to the group. "Flattery will not get me to agree to sneaking into the woods with you tonight, _Monsieur 'Udson._" He laughed as she bounced off to walk with Kurt, giving him a prime view of her perfect ass as she walked away.

"You can't blame me for trying!"

"Well, Mountain Troll," Santana sneered, coming up behind Finn and walking next to him as Brittany chased butterflies into a bramble patch. "Looks like you and Frenchie are taking the 'happily ever after' route all the way to New York together."

"That's the plan," he said, noting the lack of snark in Santana's tone. She had been completely amicable to both Finn and Rachel ever since she had moved back to the states and even stopped calling Finn fat.

Most of the time.

"Well, what about you? No school, no job; what do you have planned for the fall, Tubs?"

Finn smiled. "Do I detect a hint of worry in your voice, Santana?" The Latina shifted her eyes back and forth, avoiding contact and trying to deny what Finn already knew to be true. She wasn't as heartless as she pretended to be most of the time.

"Well someone has to take care of Frenchie in the big city. That little cream puff is going to get eaten alive if you don't look out for her."

"Don't worry, Santana, I have everything planned." He said, watching as Rachel helped Kurt walk around an obstruction in the path. "The first few months will be a transition, but I'm going to be helping Rachel with her citizenship and applying to schools. I don't need to plan out every single day of the next four years to know that I'm going to be happy. I want to live my life to the fullest in New York, and figure things out as I go along."

She nodded her head, pleased with his answer. "That's cool, Finn. I'm happy for you guys." There was one more question she wanted to ask, however. The curiosity was killing her. "But if you don't mind me asking, what exactly are you going to study when you get into school?"

Looking ahead at the one thing in his life that still inspired him, he closed his eyes and tried to picture his future. The only thing that stood out to him, the only thing that _mattered,_ was that Rachel was by his side, no matter what kind of fantasy he tried to entertain. He saw summers in France and winters in Manhattan. He saw her name in lights and a proud smile on his face. He saw tiny little children with their mothers' dark eyes, counting to ten in French and eating little_ pain au chocolats_ in the park.

"Music," he answered, "education, business. I don't care what I study, I'll figure it out soon enough." With Rachel at his side, there was only one thing he _really_ needed to learn. "There is one class, though, that I'm definitely going to take."

Santana shrugged, "Well, what is it?"

"What do you think?" He questioned with a smile and a soft wink as he left Santana behind and sauntered down the path towards Rachel. "French 101."

* * *

><p><strong>THE END<strong>

* * *

><p>Thank you for staying with this story until the very end.<p>

_Au revoir, mes amis._


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